An Octogenarian Expert Appears at the Citrus Base and Teaches Pruning Techniques for Citrus Trees

I wonder by whom the fine leaves were cut out; The spring wind in February is like a pair of scissors. It's not only the spring wind that trims the vibrant scene of grass growing and warblers flying in February. In the Yishizhuang citrus base in Yaqueling Town, Yichang City, Teacher Yuan Changzhong, a senior agronomist in his eighties, holds a pruning knife in his hand, walks with an "eight - character" gait, and skillfully explains the matters of spring pruning of citrus trees, presenting a busy farming scene in spring.

Teacher Yuan Changzhong graduated in agriculture and has been rooted in the countryside for decades to serve farmers. He has high authority in citrus planting and management. When it comes to Teacher Yuan, growers not only respect him but also feel grateful to him. This time, Hubei Yishizhuang Company invited Teacher Yuan to the citrus base. Firstly, it is to guide the problems existing in the citrus planting and management of the base. Secondly, it is to combine the spring agricultural management to teach the company's business personnel and local growers technologies such as citrus pruning and fertilization.

At the training meeting, Teacher Yuan first explained the management of two - year - old navel orange trees in the base. From the perspective of fertilization, he affirmed the practice of intercropping crops such as sesame and soybeans in the base and returning the straw to the field. He indicated that fertilizers should still be used specifically for their intended purposes and evenly applied in combination with ditch digging. Considering the drought weather in recent months, in terms of irrigation and drought resistance, Teacher Yuan suggested digging holes around the drip line of the tree canopy and then irrigating, which would greatly improve the utilization rate.

Teacher Yuan emphasized that the tree's nutrition mainly comes from two sources: one is root fertilization, and the other is photosynthesis of the leaves. Proper pruning of the tree has a direct impact on the tree vigor and fruit setting, so it is very important to learn pruning well. Regarding the pruning of young trees, since it is now the time of vegetative growth, it is recommended not to prune excessively. Just tidy up the branches. And he demonstrated the pruning method of young trees on the spot. When seeing the adult fruit - bearing trees of the surrounding farmers, Teacher Yuan led the team to the big trees and said that the pruning of adult trees is more complicated. It is necessary not only to achieve "smooth, even, new, and unobstructed", but also to present the "three thins and three densenesses" after pruning, that is: the big branches should be sparse and the small branches should be dense, the upper part should be sparse and the lower part should be dense, and the outside should be sparse and the inside should be dense.

After the training, the on - site growers and business managers consulted about the problems in agricultural operations, and Teacher Yuan answered them in detail one by one. The growers sighed, "In the years of engaging in citrus planting, I am fortunate to have received several training and guidance sessions from Teacher Yuan. His explanations are very detailed, and the technologies are very practical. Farmers need such down - to - earth experts."