Nanming: I can build wonders

Chapter 35 The Guano Map
Zheng Kezang found out in the system mall that even if he exchanged for super hybrid rice seeds, it would be impossible to achieve the output of future generations.

The terrible output of later generations is piled up by modern chemical fertilizers and various advanced agricultural technologies, but Zheng Kezang has nothing.

Modern fertilizers are based on the oil industry, and we in China won the 80s and [-]s to produce chemical fertilizers. He, Zheng Kezang, He De, can't afford it.

Even if the Brilliant Points are enough, if the fertilizer production line is replaced, then the entire power plant will be needed.

But the problem of food must be solved, which is the biggest problem facing Ming Zheng.

The army needs food, the common people need food, he has to find a way to get it done.

As the saying goes: When an official does not make decisions for the people, it is better to go home and grow sweet potatoes.

Wait, sweet potato.

Zheng Kezang had a plan in mind.

Sweet potatoes were introduced to China during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and the process of introduction is very legendary.

The origin of sweet potatoes is America. With the introduction of Western colonists, sweet potatoes are more or less present all over the world.

Chen Zhenlong from Changle, Fujian, and his son Chen Jinglun, who have been doing business in Luzon for many years, saw a kind of crop called "sweet potato" planted there.

So they decided to introduce sweet potatoes to Daming to alleviate the current situation of many mountains and few fields and food shortage in their hometown.

However, the Spanish colonists at that time regarded sweet potatoes as a rare commodity, and they were "prohibited to leave the country."

After careful planning, Chen Zhenlong "twisted potato vines into the water-drawing rope" and smeared sludge on the surface of the rope. In the early summer of 1593, he cleverly avoided the inspection of the Spanish checkpoints and "was able to cross the sea."

However, as a staple food, the taste of sweet potatoes is not as good as that of rice and wheat. In the early days, the people of Ming Dynasty did not pay much attention to them, and the desire of the people to plant them was not high.

In the Qing Dynasty, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty valued the high yield of sweet potatoes, and they were able to promote it on a large scale.

According to the "Qing Barnyard Banknotes Plants": "During the Kangxi period, the holy ancestors ordered Zhongzhou and other places to plant teaching skills and serve as grain food. Since then, Fanzi has been widely distributed, and Zhili, Jiangsu, Shandong and other provinces also have Plant it."

At that time, in many southern provinces, sweet potato cultivation was relatively common, and it became an important part of the rations of poor people.

In the third year of Yongzheng (1725), Huang Guocai, the governor of Fujian, said in a memorial: "Check the coastal areas of Hui'an, Tong'an, and Kinmen under the jurisdiction of Quanzhou. The sweet potato harvest was poor last winter, and rice is expensive this spring. The poor people near the sea are not without difficulties."

In addition, in the sixth year of Yongzheng (1728), Kong Yuxun, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, made a statement: "Check out the original variety of sweet potatoes in Chaozhou to replace rice. , about one day’s food for one person, costs only a penny or two.”

It can be seen that by the Yongzheng period, sweet potatoes had become the daily food of the lower class people, especially in the years of floods, droughts and famines, it became a life-saving food for famine and famine.

At that time, many far-sighted local officials also gradually realized the importance of sweet potatoes. For example, Pan Siju, governor of Anhui in the 12th year of Qianlong, required the whole province to plant sweet potatoes.

In this way, even the emperor himself gradually realized that sweet potatoes are a good thing.

In the 50th year of Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict to promote sweet potatoes with the power of the court.

In the last edict, Emperor Qianlong commended Lu Yao, the procurator of Shandong Province, saying that his "Sweet Potato Record" summarizing the experience of sweet potato planting was easy to understand, and the order was "mostly published", "promulgated in various prefectures and counties, and distributed banknotes" , so that everyone knows the benefits of seed potatoes, and most of them are planted."

At the same time, local officials in the Central Plains are required to vigorously promote sweet potatoes.

In addition, other provinces that have not been hit by disasters should also make "Sweet Potato Records" "mostly published and circulated, so that the people will know their benefits, plant them widely, and provide food for the people. .”

Due to the attention from the highest level, sweet potato has gradually been promoted on a large scale in the Gyeonggi area and the Central Plains, and has become one of the main foods of the lower class people.

Compared with traditional crops such as wheat and rice, sweet potatoes do not compete with major food crops for land, and the planting technology is relatively simple, and the requirements for climate and rain are not high. It can be said that sweet potatoes played an important role in feeding hundreds of millions of lower-class people in the Qing Dynasty. .

Zheng Kezang thought of this and had a bold plan.

That is to exchange a large amount of sweet potato and potato seeds, and promote a wave during spring plowing.

After the sweet potatoes and potatoes are harvested, process them and turn them into sweet potato flour and potato flour, which is the staple food.

Of course, rice cannot be completely replaced.

Because excessive consumption of sweet potatoes will cause harm to the human body.

The potassium content of sweet potato itself is high, and excessive consumption may cause arrhythmia, chest tightness, and long-term consumption can also have adverse effects on the kidneys.

In addition, sweet potatoes themselves have a sweet taste, eating too much will affect the digestive system, cause stomach acid, and even cause gastric ulcers.

The fertilizer problem still needs to be solved!

How to do it?

Zheng Kezang did not dare to think about chemical fertilizers, but what about natural fertilizers.

The best natural fertilizer is bird droppings. Zheng Kezang heard in later generations that there were two wars between South American countries because of bird droppings in the 19th century.

Zheng Kezang hurriedly spent 5 points in the system mall to buy the distribution map of guano resources in Asia, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the South China Sea Islands are rich in guano!
According to the nautical book "Songfeng Xiangsong" in the middle and late Ming Dynasty: "The ship went to Qizhou Ocean (now the waters of Xisha Islands) and Wailuo... If the hull of the ship is greedy for the east, the sea water will be black and blue, and there will be many duck-headed birds... The ship travels The right way, seeing a bird with an arrow on its tail is the right way.”

Chen Lunjiong, an oceanographer in the early Qing Dynasty, recorded in his "Sea Country Wenjianlu": "There are seabirds in the sand, of different sizes, and few people are seen. When they are on a boat and fly overnight, people will not be afraid of catching them. They spit out fish and shrimps on their backs for soup. ".

It can be seen that there were many birds in the Xisha Islands at that time, and they ate fish and shrimps on the shoals. Over time, a thick layer of guano was formed on the islands and reefs where they lived.

These bird droppings are rich in phosphate substances and are natural high-quality phosphate fertilizers and phosphate rock resources.

Zheng Kezang: "Wuhu! Take off!"

In addition to the distribution map, the system also presented a document about guano in the South China Sea.

After reading it, Zheng Kezang was so angry that his hands shook: "Damn Japanese."

According to the records, Japan, which has been coveting to occupy China's rich resources since the Sino-Japanese War of Sino-Japanese War, will naturally not turn a blind eye to the fat piece of guano in the South China Sea.

In 1907, Yoshiji Nishizawa, a businessman from Japan, invaded and occupied the islands and reefs of the Dongsha Islands.

In 1917, Sueji Hirata, a businessman from Japan, fled to the Paracel Islands on the "Nanxing Maru".

In 1919, Dongying built a wharf on Nanping Island.

In 1921, Dongying began to illegally harvest guano and seafood from Taiping Island and Xisha Islands in the Nansha Islands.

In 1929, Dongying had illegally mined more than 2.6 tons of guano phosphate rock in Nansha.

In July 1938, Dongying "Nanyang Company" stole 7 tons of guano from Taiping Island in Nansha.

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the Dongying Kingdom seized more than [-] tons of guano resources from the South China Sea.

These are just recorded statistics!

Fortunately, he was discovered by Zheng Kezang now, so let the guano in the South China Sea be his help in revitalizing China!

(End of this chapter)