BEIJING
\nFor people living in high-altitude pastoral areas, access to fresh vegetables has long been constrained by harsh natural conditions, with limited varieties available throughout the year.
\nFor nearly two decades, Wang Zhonghong, a professor at Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, has been working to change that.
\nInside a courtyard greenhouse on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Wang climbed up and down a small ladder, pointing out the different crops growing at each level.
\n\u201cThe top layer gets the strongest sunlight and the highest temperatures, so we grow watermelons, eggplants and chili peppers on it,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThe middle layer is cooler and less sunny, which suits radishes, cabbage and cauliflower. The bottom layer has the weakest light and lowest temperature, so it\u2019s ideal for spinach, lettuce and chives.\u201d
\nThis multi-layer planting system is part of Wang\u2019s long-term research on high-altitude courtyard greenhouses, a facility he has spent years refining.
\nHis goal is simple but ambitious: to make it possible for farmers and herders in high-altitude regions to enjoy fresh vegetables throughout the year.
\nBorn and raised in northwest China\u2019s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Wang had no prior connection with Xizang. While pursuing graduate studies at Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University in northwest China\u2019s Shaanxi province, however, he was struck by a comment from his advisor: the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is rich in wild vegetable resources, yet its vegetable industry remains underdeveloped. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BEIJING For people living in high-altitude pastoral areas, access to fresh vegetables has long been constrained by harsh natural conditions, with limited varieties available throughout the year. For nearly two decades, Wang Zhonghong, a professor at Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, has been working to change that. Inside a courtyard greenhouse on the Qinghai-Xizang […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-525058","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n