The "Master Class for Children" event, co-hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Leading Group for Talent Work of the Kunming Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was held in Jinkangyuan Primary School of Kunming, the capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, on the afternoon of April 15.
Themed "Black Technology in the Farm Fields", Hu Fengyi, a professor with Yunnan University, and Shang Yi, a professor with Yunnan Normal University, gave their separate science popularization open classes to help pupils become interested in scientific exploration.
The law of the nature: the past, present and future of the rice
Hu is also a PhD adviser and member of the Steering Committee for Plant Production (Agronomy) Undergraduate Teaching under the Ministry of Education.
Hu opened his thematic lecture about super rice with the recitation of a rice seedling -transplating poem, which says that "I plant the seedlings greening o'er the field and the sky in water timely greets my sight." He related the hybrid rice research pioneered by late Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping and his lifetime dream of enjoying the shade under the rice crop to speak with pupils about the transformation from rice seedlings to a bow of rice.
Hu briefed attendees on his self-developed special rice variety, which is cultivated through the hybridization between African and Asian rices. The new-type rice variety can save tremendous plantation cost and labor for relevant farmers because of the asexual reproduction of its underground stems.
Thunderous applause erupted among pupils when they heard that the special rice variety can be sowed once and harvested for many years.
"In addition to the production tools, there are also many advanced agricultural technologies available on farmland. I will study hard and bring positive changes to the world with my sci-tech innovation endeavors in the future," said Yang Qirui, a sixth-grade pupil there, at an interview.
Agricultural technologies behind potato plantation
Shang is also a distinguished professor with the "Yangtze River Scholar Award Program" sponsored by the Ministry of Education. He talked about potato-related knowledge and technological revolution behind potato cultivation in his lecture.
Shang introduced that potatoes are not only delicious and good-looking but also easy to grow on farmland and that it is a traditional approach for farmers to plant potatoes with sprouted tubers for asexual reproduction. It needs 500 grams of seed potatoes to plant a slice of farmland of two square meters. In the future, potatoes are expected to be planted like wheat and rice, instead of sprouted tubers. This is the magic of agricultural technology.
"Classroom is not only on campus. The 'Master Class for Children' event has provided students with new knowledge and perspectives beyond their textbooks and enabled them to embrace scientific knowledge beyond the campus, which is crucial for their comprehensive development," said Li Xuefei, Party chief of Jinkangyuan Primary School.
Taste technological magic
The "Master Class for Children" event also held practical activities over agricultural technologies, which allowed youth to closely experience technological charm brought by the detection of fruit and vegetable ripeness through smart circuits and uncover the mysteries behind agricultural robots in telling the differences between fruit colors and sorting out fruits.
Students also worked in groups to operate robots in the simulated fruit and vegetable sorting and marveled the result of precise sorting, adding that circuit knowledge from textbook can be applied in robotic selection of fruits and vegetables.
Messages from students to scientists
After the "Master Class for Children" event, Professor Hu and Shang received a stack of message cards from primary school students, who conveyed their respect to scientists, the longing for the scientific world and aspiration for a bright future.
Professor Hu, you have fully integrated sci-tech research with national demand. The promotion of perennial rice has not only helped farmers further increase their yields but also offered the world Chinese solutions to the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. A salute to you.--from Zhong Danchun
Professor Hu, thank you for the research and development of the perennial rice, which relieves farmers from rice plantation on a yearly basis and delivers lots of benefits to their physical health. My grandmother suffered from labor-related illnesses when she was young. I am curious about whether there is a significant difference in the yield between perennial and annual rice?--from Hu Tiancheng
Professor Shang, I am full of curiosity and admiration for your research results. How many interesting secrets do those special potatoes hold? I am eager to receive your replies. I have made my mind to study hard and, like you, contribute to the society through science. I will work more hard and look forward to your response.--from Wu Sixian
Professor Shang, you are a great scientist in my heart. I deeply admire your efforts and contributions to the development of agricultural science. Like a magician, you have used your wisdom and sweat to make crops stronger and our life better. I have realized from your stories that people will eventually make their dream come true as long as they hold it and fight for it. In the future, I will study hard and contribute personal efforts to the country and the society like you. I hope you will always keep health, work smoothly, and achieve more research results.--from an anonymous student
Once the seed of science is planted, it will eventually grow into a towering tree.
