The sea of trees undulates, and the pine waves roar. "Let's gently shave the top branch of the Mongolian pine seedling, make an oblique cut, insert the Korean pine bud into the shaved opening, and finally bind and fix it." On April 7th, in Tabengai Village, Yusi Town, Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County, Fuxin City, Liaoning Province, which is adjacent to the Horqin Sandy Land, Shang Fuqiang, the director of the Genetics and Breeding Laboratory of the Liaoning Forest Management Research Institute, and five scientific researchers from the institute were providing technical guidance to the workers of Maoniuhai State-owned Forest Farm on grafting Korean pine onto Mongolian pine. "Through this technology, it not only solves the problem that Korean pine seedlings are difficult to survive in sandy land but also brings considerable income to local people, enriches the composition of sand control tree species in the Horqin Sandy Land, and provides a technical demonstration that can be learned from and replicated for the battle to eliminate the Horqin Sandy Land," said Shang Fuqiang.

"The Korean pine is an evergreen coniferous tree with few pests and diseases. It can grow in cold northern regions. Its developed root system can effectively conserve water sources, alleviate soil erosion, and maintain soil stability. Around the Korean pine, other shrubs and trees can grow better, which is conducive to protecting biodiversity," said Yu Hongliang, director of the Forest Management Research Institute.

As early as the 1980s, the Institute of Forest Management participated in the national "Sixth FiveYear Plan" and "Seventh Five-Year Plan" science and technology projects. "At that time, the natural red pine forests in the three northeastern provinces were over- and there were not many left, so we joined forces with various departments in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces to carry out emergency protection of the red pine natural forest genetic resources," recalled Wang Xingxuan, a researcher who has since retired.

Wang Xingxuan and the experts from the red pine breeding group of the Institute of Management, ventured deep into the primeval forests of Heilongjiang and Jilin, selecting red pine superior trees one by one, and collected seeds for breeding iniaoning, accurately evaluating the adaptability and yield increase of these superior tree resources in Liaoning.

"Thanks to the accumulation of generations of red pine breeding experts, utilized the abundant genetic resources they left behind, adopted molecular marker plus traditional breeding methods, and carried out research on the construction of high-generation breeding populations, and optimized design of seedchards, and recently took the lead in establishing a second-generation clonal seed orchard for red pine, accelerating the process of genetic improvement of red pine," said Sh Fugang.

In this small village, more than 7,000 acres of red pine forests of various ages are thriving, and it has become the location the national red pine superior variety base and the national fixed-point observation and research station of the forest ecosystem in the Liaodong Peninsula.

"We have selected and several red pine superior varieties, and the promotion area has exceeded 150,000 acres," Yu Hongliang said.

Red pine breeding

 is it so difficult?

"The institute has been waiting for this certificate for more than 60 years." In January of this year, when Shang Fug, who has been engaged in red pine breeding research for nearly 20 years, received the "Certificate of Variety Approval for Seeds of the First-Generationonal Seed Orchard of Red Pine in Cahekou" issued by Liaoning Province, his eyes were a little moist.

"This seed orchard originally covered41 acres and was dug out of a barren rocky slope by the older generation of foresters with a spade and a hoe." In 1958 Zhang An came to work at the Experimental Forest Farm of the Liaoning Provincial Forestry Bureau and presided over the construction of the earliest red pine clonal seed or in China. Here, rows of 20-meter-high pines stand tall and straight, and the terraced fields dug out of the mountains by the researchers in those for planting trees are still clearly visible.
The breeding cycle of red pine is long, and it is highly correlated with the relatively long growth cycle red pine itself. Only those who are engaged in the breeding of trees can understand the true meaning of the phrase "planting trees for the benefit of those who come after us. Mr. Shang Fugang told the reporter.

It turns out that the stable growth period of red pine is between 26 and 40 years. During period, it is necessary to track and study the growth of the seed orchard mother trees, the offspring seedlings, and the test forest for a long time, to evaluate the traits of the seeds in the seed orchard, and to select excellent varieties with good genetic quality and high economic value by combining the measurement of the seed's physical and nutritional components

Wang Xingxuan came to the institute to work in 1983 and became the leading scientific researcher in red pine breeding at the institute. "Many excellent grow deep in the forest or in dangerous places, and there is no way to find them." He said that he and his colleagues, armed with sickles, cut down theorns that blocked the road, and it was common for them to be scratched by branches and bitten by mosquitoes. "In the winter, when the shrubs and decuous trees have shed their leaves, we search through the snow that is knee-deep, which makes it easier to find the red pines that are growing well and to measure and the relevant data."

"Climbing trees is a necessary skill in our institute." Zhang Limin, a professor-level senior engineer who specializes in red pine, came to the institute in 1994 to work. He still clearly remembers the scene of climbing trees that year. In order to collect high-quality scions foring, they used simple tree-climbing tools and climbed up 20-30-meter-high pine trees bare-handed. "When I was young, could swing from one tree to another. In the fall, we set up tents in the wild and guarded the pine cones for more than ten days, for fear of losing them" said Zhang Limin.

Red pine seeds

How to expand the road to prosperity?

"Red pine has excellent material, hard and corrosion-resistant. Mr. Shang Fugang said, "Red pine seeds (commonly known as red pine seeds) are widely welcomed by consumers."

"The technicians in the will provide full guidance from planting time, density, to how to prune, how to manage fertilization and watering, and pest control." Liu Guozhu, a vill from Zhenggou Village in Caohukou Town, told the reporter. Here, Gao Yuan, a researcher from the Forestry Management Institute, is teaching the about the matters needing attention in transplanting seedlings.

"Our town is a direct beneficiary of the development of the pine nut industry." said Yang Xiuguan Secretary of the Party Committee of Caohukou Town. In Caohukou Town, the planting area of red pine has exceeded 60,000 mu, the per capita annual income has increased by more than 7,000 yuan. In 2010, Caohukou red pine seeds were rated as national geographical indication product, and the Forestry Management Institute also presided over the formulation of the local standard of red pine seeds in Benxi City.

"Red pine grows tall, and to collect pine cones, you have to climb to the top of the 20-30-meter-high pine tree with a foot ladder, and some use hydrogen balloons to collect pine cones, which is very dangerous." Although he has retired to the second line, Zhang Limin has turned his research direction to how to dwarf red and increase the yield of fruit. "Through observation and research, we found that pine cones mainly grow on the top of red pine, and in the 1980s 1990s, we conducted experiments with bud grafting, and through this method, we achieved top grafting, greatly shortening the fruiting cycle of red pine achieving tree dwarfing."
Today, after more than two years of nursery trials, this method has been successful, and the bud grafting method has also gone beyond Benxi and promoted in the three northeastern provinces. The Forestry Management Institute has also presided over the formulation of the "Technical Specifications for Red Pine Grafting" provincial standard.

When they are free, Ma Xiaoyu and Gao Yuan, who have only been working for a short time, like to stay in the institute's room and carefully flip through the slightly yellowed archives. In the three large iron cabinets of file bags organized by Zhang Liyan, the person in charge of the archives room, are neat handwriting, hand-drawn drawings, and detailed records. You can find detailed information about the size, location, and growth of red pine resources in the surrounding areas here

"This is the hard work and wisdom of the older generation of foresters. Here, we can calm down, feel the perseverance and hard work of our predecessors and feel the spirit of the generations of foresters who continue to pass on and climb to the top," Ma Xiaoyu said.