"Green Manure Plus" Technology Boosts Apple Production and Quality in Jingning County, China

Strategic Insights -

As the crucial growing season for apples begins in September, a cutting-edge technology has been implemented in Jingning County, China, to enhance soil fertility, reduce chemical fertilizer usage, and improve fruit quality. The "Green Manure Plus" technology, an ecological circular cultivation method, has been selected for the 2024 Gansu Provincial Science and Technology Progress First Prize and has significantly contributed to the county's apple production, boasting a total output of 1.216 million tons in 2024.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Green Manure Plus" technology has increased apple fruit weight by 18.4% and nutritional quality, including fructose content, by over 8.4% through the implementation of green manure crops in orchards.
  • This technology has improved soil ecology, reduced the use of chemical fertilizers, and enhanced fruit quality by preserving fertile soil moisture, reducing the risk of soil erosion, and fundamentally improving soil physical and chemical properties.
  • The multidisciplinary collaboration between the National Green Manure Industry System, Gansu Fruit Industry System, Gansu Agricultural University, and other organizations resulted in a systematic "green manure plus" apple cultivation system tailored to the natural resources of eastern Gansu.
  • This system centers on a winter-summer green manure rotation and mixed sowing, with year-round mulching of orchards, increasing water content by 15.3% and reducing bulk density by 5.4%.
  • One machine can complete the sowing of 30 mu of land per day, which is over 10 times the efficiency of manual labor.
  • The technology has been successfully implemented in three apple planting companies, significantly improving soil quality, increasing soil organic matter, and enhancing the market competitiveness of Jingning apples.

Statistics:

  • 1.216 million tons: Total apple production in Jingning County in 2024
  • 7.5 billion yuan: Production value of apple production in Jingning County in 2024
  • 18.4%: Increase in apple fruit weight through the implementation of "Green Manure Plus" technology
  • 8.4%: Increase in nutritional quality, including fructose content, through the implementation of "Green Manure Plus" technology
  • 15.3%: Increase in water content through the implementation of the "Green Manure Plus" system
  • 5.4%: Reduction in bulk density through the implementation of the "Green Manure Plus" system

Sources:

  • "Pingliang: Science and technology helps to polish Jingning apples" - Pingliang Government official website, http://www.pingliang.gov.cn/xwzx/mryw/art/2025/art_89ca53e006e54b26941393d02a698dad.html