#533 - Chapter 535: Cassava that can grow in acidic soil!

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——”

The sound of a hairdryer filled the air.

Having completed his daily routine of a decadent bath, Qin Jin was drying his hair, after which he planned to personally visit the planting department.

Since the super crops had been brought back to the base, Yuan Mu had received a definitive answer: the newly found super rice could be used to double the planting harvest.

It was just a pity that there weren't enough rice seedlings for planting yet. Large-scale seedling cultivation was needed before large-scale planting could be possible.

It would still take some time.

But that didn't matter. For the base's planting environment, where temperature and humidity were freely controlled throughout the year and costs were not a concern, planting could begin as long as seedling cultivation was completed within the next month or two.

After finishing his personal grooming, Qin Jin quickly arrived at the planting center of the main base.

The branch base also had planting greenhouses, and the underground planting area was still being built and decorated, which would take a little more time to complete.

It was estimated that by the time the super rice seedling cultivation was completed, it would also be ready for use.

As soon as he entered the planting center of the main base, he saw several people inside bending over, seemingly tinkering with something.

One of them saw the leader arrive and immediately stopped what he was doing to notify Yuan Mu, the person in charge here.

One of the female team members, whom Qin Jin had met and knew the name of, approached him.

“Hello, Mr. Qin. Our teacher is busy over there. Please wait a moment.”

Qin Jin looked at the girl. He remembered her name was An Xiaoran, one of the people sent to Hai Island Province to find the super crops last time.

He smiled at her and nodded in a friendly manner, then stood aside to wait.

He valued these professionals who possessed planting techniques. They were the hope for the rise of every force in the apocalypse.

Without them, it was very likely that they wouldn't be able to grow the expected amount of grain. The acidic soil outside was too terrible.

While waiting, he also scanned the inside of the planting center.

This was the ground greenhouse. The ceiling had long been covered with sturdy sun panels, and some curtains were also arranged inside that could be opened and closed at any time to control the intensity of the sunlight.

Recently, the sunlight outside had become abnormal, and the planting department staff didn't dare to let the crops directly receive sunlight, in case they got "baked" and that would be troublesome.

Under the curtains, there were also some plant lights arranged by the base, which could provide the necessary light for the crops on cloudy days or at night.

At the same time, the temperature inside the entire planting center was suitable, and several large temperature and humidity controllers were working non-stop, keeping the temperature here at the most suitable planting temperature for the crops inside.

Among those separated crop areas, plastic tubes were built, and occasionally water droplets would fall to moisten the soil of the crops.

It was drip irrigation technology.

The base couldn't possibly not use this extremely water-saving technology.

In addition, the planting soil used throughout the base was all nutrient field soil and planting soil that Qin Jin had ordered to be stockpiled before the end of the world, and the fertility was amazing.

The entire planting center was well-organized, and everything was under the control of the staff.

In this state, wouldn't it be possible to grow fruitful crops?

Absolutely.

After a while, Yuan Mu came over, seeing Qin Jin looking around.

“Team Yuan, how are things going recently? Any progress in planting?”

Before Yuan Mu could ask why he had come, Qin Jin took the initiative to ask the question.

The latter began to introduce after he had evened out his breathing a bit.

“The progress of the super rice is good. It is expected that we will be able to cultivate the first batch of seedlings in about a month. By then, the planting area of the branch base will also be completely built, and we can plant super rice on both sides at the same time!”

“Then, we have also made some progress with other crops, such as potatoes, corn, sorghum, wheat, etc. recently. We can try to start planting them. We don't need much of these grains, just dividing a few acres of land will be enough. It can be regarded as expanding our grain types.”

Yuan Mu's mention of the latter was actually also requested by Qin Jin.

Most of the grain in his stockpiles was rice. There was some millet, wheat, and the like, but the quantity was far different. Most of the thousands of tons of grain recovered from the Xiang Province granary this time was also rice, with only a small portion being other miscellaneous grains.

So the entire grain inventory in Green Source was mostly rice, while other types of grain were relatively scarce.

Although this was very good, and rice was also the staple food in the south, he still felt that the crop types needed to be enriched.

The diversity of food helps to create more delicious food.

“We have also made some improvements in terms of vegetables, which can greatly increase the fruit-bearing rate of the same plant!”

Yuan Mu kept talking for a long time, introducing the recent situation and progress here.

Qin Jin listened and nodded repeatedly.

Not bad.

As an extremely important link in the base, and also a link that absolutely cannot go wrong, the planting of grain must be stabilized.

“By the way, boss, there's one more thing.”

“I was just busy with this over there, and almost forgot to tell you!”

After Yuan Mu finished his introduction, he suddenly paused and told Qin Jin another situation that surprised him slightly.

“Among the sample plants we brought back from Hai Island Province last time, we found a very strange plant!”

“It's a cassava!”

“It can take root and grow in that kind of acidic soil outside! After this sample was brought back from there, we carried out branching and cultivation treatment, and it has become more than a dozen plants! Then we found acidic soil here and replanted it, and all of them survived! And they are still bearing root tubers!”

“We seem to have found an incredible plant!”

What!?

Qin Jin narrowed his eyes, staring at Yuan Mu in disbelief, and was surprised by what he said.

There are actually crops that can survive in large quantities and bear fruit in the acidic soil outside?

There are indeed some plants that can grow in acidic soil outside, but most of them have difficulty bearing fruit or edible root tubers.

Otherwise, the survivors outside wouldn't be so difficult.

Because there is a difference in acidity and alkalinity of the soil outside, it is possible that a certain area is not so acidic, so plants can just grow.

Those soils that are too acidic and have lost their fertility are almost unable to provide what plants need to survive.

That is, not even a blade of grass can grow.

Moreover, acidity is only one of them. More importantly, that acid rain also carries some inexplicable substances, and the land that has been soaked in it is extremely difficult for plants to survive.

Just like purple fog wants to exterminate humans, acid rain wants to exterminate plants.

Attacks from different angles.

“We are still studying that kind of cassava now. We want to figure out the reason why this kind of cassava can grow and bear fruit in the soil outside. If we find it, maybe we can get an infinitely large planting area!”

Yuan Mu was already a little excited when he said this. This was an amazing discovery. If it finally came true, this thing would be more important than super rice!

Hearing this, Qin Jin couldn't hold back anymore.

“Take me to see it!!”

（End of this chapter）