Chapter 380: Natural Enemies Insects Become Forestry Special Forces
Nanping, Fujian Province.

"boom!"

"boom!"

Accompanied by loud noises in the sky, biological agents were sprayed onto large tracts of forest in an instant.

On a mountain platform.

Xu Xuenong looked at the helicopter in the distance and said, "This is really like using an anti-aircraft gun to kill a mosquito."

"Ha ha……"

Zhou Lei from the Nanping Forest Pest Control and Quarantine Station smiled and said, "It's OK as long as it works. As long as it can kill the pine caterpillars, it's a good method."

At this time, several drones also returned from the distant sky and began to replenish ammunition under the operation of the staff.

This ammunition is different from the biological missiles of the quarantine station. It is a gift carefully prepared by the Natural Enemy Center for pine caterpillars: ladybugs, beetles and pine caterpillar trichogrammatids.

Pine caterpillars are known as forest psoriasis and are the most widely distributed forest pest in my country.

Pine caterpillars feed on pine needles of pine trees and generally do not cause serious harm under stable conditions.

But when the insect population density is too high, all the pine needles may be eaten.

In mild cases, it affects the growth of pine tree volume, resin and seed production; in severe cases, it can cause the death of large numbers of pine trees.

In Nanping, due to the reduction of natural forests and the increase of artificial pure forests, pine caterpillars have frequently broken out and caused damage.

In Nanping alone, the affected forest area exceeds 300 million mu.

This time of year is also the critical period for Zhou Lei and others to organize aircraft to control insects.

Nanping has used natural enemies to control pests in the past, but only as an auxiliary means in comprehensive management.

But Zhou Lei was still happy to see Jiahe's initiative to volunteer.

He looked at the staff who were loading the drone with "ammunition", and then looked at Xu Xuenong.

"Mr. Xu, it will take at most a week. If the monitoring data does not improve, the test area will also have to be sprayed on a large scale. By then, all the insects released may be killed."

The test area given to the natural enemy center was also one of the most seriously infested areas.

Zhou Lei believes that they will have to rely on helicopters to fire cannons in a week, as the natural enemies dropped by drones are not effective.

Xu Xuenong smiled and said, "One week is enough."

"It's good to have confidence," Zhou Lei said, "but if the results are not good, the bureau won't pay you."

The quarantine station is a public institution under the Municipal Forestry Bureau, and the Natural Enemy Center was found through the Forestry Bureau.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s free. We planned from the beginning to provide free service for the first time.”

Xu Xuenong did not mention this any more, and turned around and said, "By the way, Stationmaster Zhou, we need you to determine the control area for Monochamus alternatus as soon as possible."

"We'll have to see how effective the pine caterpillar control is this time. If it doesn't work, it'll be gone."

"Then just wait and see."

Xu Xuenong knew clearly that the quarantine station still had no confidence in using insects to control pests.

With the help of Donghe Agricultural Machinery's plant protection aerial spraying team, the Natural Enemy Center completed aerial spraying of pine caterpillars on more than 1500 acres in a small town within one day.

After completion, the Natural Enemy Center did not just stand there and wait for the results.

Instead, he led the team and rushed to the next point without stopping.

Zhou Lei also returned to the city and went to the Forestry Bureau to report the aerial defense work to the person in charge.

The person in charge asked, "What do you think of Jiahe's method of using insects to control insects?"

"It can be used as an auxiliary means." Zhou Lei truthfully recounted what he saw and heard. "The advantage is low cost, but the effect is still uncertain."

The leader nodded, "How low is the cost?"

"The same amount of financial resources should be able to cover all areas with serious pests."

The leader looked at Zhou Lei in surprise. Lack of funds and unclear subjects in forest pest control are common problems in various places, and there are disputes every year.

Zhou Lei recalled the entire governance process.

"Insects + drones + personnel are the main components of the cost. Compared with the cost of helicopter bombing, it saves at least one-third."

The leader pondered and said, "You need to follow up on this matter. Once you confirm it, I will report it to the provincial department."

...

In addition to Nanping, Longyan, Sanming and Ningde, three prefecture-level cities that are also suffering from the damage of pine caterpillars, have also set up aerial defense sites.

After just a few days, Xu Xuenong and his team were exhausted from the move.

After completing the last bee ball drop in Longyan, Xu Xuenong finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the operators with gratitude.

"Thanks to everyone this time. Fortunately, I can fly and don't have to travel through mountains and rivers, otherwise I will collapse."

"You're welcome, Mr. Xu."

One operator said: "Natural enemy insects and drones are a perfect match. If Mr. Xu can develop this market, it will be a good thing for us."

"Yes, this is millions of acres at any time, and we will have to make a lot of money from the aerial defense in the future."

"Alas, my only regret is that I didn't get to eat the feast that Mr. Xu mentioned."

"What kind of dinner?"

Several operators looked at the sighing man in confusion. Even Xu Xuenong was attracted to pay attention. His meals these days were pretty good, right?

"It's Monochamus alternatus!" The operator said with a smile, "Boss Xu said that the protein in its larvae is six times that of beef. If we catch them all and fry them, both the forest and I will be healthy."

Everyone laughed.

"Okay, next time we will definitely meet your request and catch the longhorn beetle larvae for you."

"Okay, if you can catch it, I dare to eat it."

"Do you want me to catch two Fujianese for you?"

"Hahaha……"

Just then, Xu Xuenong received a phone call. After talking for a while, he started laughing.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Xuenong smiled and said, "Thank you brothers for your help. The Monochamus alternatus is here."

Someone laughed sinisterly, "Now someone's feast is settled."

...

Nanping, Wuyishan National Forest Park.

Wang Keji, the director of the Park Administration, held a small test tube in his hand and asked doubtfully:

"This swell-legged wasp is so small, less than one percent of the size of the Monochamus alternatus. Are you sure it can kill the Monochamus alternatus?"

"Of course, this is the nemesis of longhorn beetles." Xu Xuenong said with a smile: "Like trichogrammatids, swollen-legged wasps also rely on parasitism to control longhorn beetles.

Although it is small, the scleroderma can recognize the smell of the pine beetle and find the larvae and pupae of the beetle along the path it has "traveled".
The bee uses its stinger to inject a biological anesthetic into the larvae, paralyzing them, and then lays eggs on their surface.
After the bee eggs hatch, the young bees suck the nutrients from the larvae, causing the longhorn beetle to die..."

Wang Keji exclaimed: "Has technology now developed to this level?"

"This is not our first invention. Many domestic institutions have conducted research in this area."

"But we are confident that Jiahe's scleroderma is one of the best," Xu Xuenong said to the many experts and leaders who came to visit the launch.

"We have already experienced Jiahe's technology on pine caterpillars."

The head of the Forestry Bureau said: "In the past week, the density of insects has been greatly reduced in the forest areas where scarab beetles, ladybugs, pine caterpillars and trichogrammatids have been released.

The speed of taking effect is no slower than that of a cannon, and the effect is even better. This is a real biological missile!"

Zhou Lei from the Nanping Forest Pest Control and Quarantine Station and the Monitoring and Forecasting Center who participated in the aerial defense of natural enemies also felt deeply touched.

This period is the peak period for pest hatching, with hundreds of millions of pine caterpillars being born every day.

However, after releasing Jiahe's natural enemy insects, the pine caterpillars seemed to disappear collectively in a few days. How many insect eggs must be killed in one day!
They also have more confidence in Jiahe’s natural enemies, insects.

After compiling the results, Nanping reported it to the higher authorities immediately.

This attracted the attention of the provincial department, the Forest Protection Institute of the Chinese Academy of Forestry and other units.

After confirming the facts, they immediately asked Jiahe to increase the release of natural enemy insects.

The annual funding for forest pest control is limited, and the focus of control is on those areas with serious damage, so there are often some that slip through the net.

The low cost of natural enemy control can achieve a wider coverage, reduce the insect population base next year, and is more conducive to the long-term stability of the ecosystem.

"The new natural enemy insects are already being urgently transported. It will only take one day to airlift them here."

Xu Xuenong took a look at the platform on the mountain and saw that the aerial defense team was ready.

"The swell-legged bees are starting to be released."

Following his voice, more than a dozen drones took off almost at the same time and flew to their respective planned areas.

Xu Xuenong was explaining the key points such as the release points, how many heads to release per acre, etc.

Experts and cadres can also see the image data dropped by drones through supporting equipment.

They were all surprised.

The efficiency and cost of drones combined with their natural enemy insects are so terrifying!

After the launch, the experts did not leave immediately, but stayed in Wuyi Mountain for two days.

In these two days,

Huang Jinshui, director of the Forest Protection Institute of the Provincial Academy of Forestry, visited the Wuyi Mountain area.

In the forest, we found many pine and poplar trees damaged by pine beetles.

Longicorn beetles like to get into tree trunks by digging holes and drilling holes.

In this way, it is very difficult to kill the pine sawyer beetle whether using pesticides or manual pest control.

However, if not effectively prevented and controlled, a tree will be eaten away in a few years, and some may even die.

During two days of experimental observation, Huang Jinshui and other experts dissected more than fifty sections of tree branches with holes drilled in them.

Traces of newly bred swell-legged wasps were found on almost every piece of wood. The swell-legged wasps, as big as rice grains, crawled around the longhorn beetle host.

This made the expert team extremely excited!

“The effect is incredible!”

"True, the nemesis of longhorn beetles!"

"Everything can defeat something else!"

Experts have repeatedly lamented that experience has taught them that biological control is a long process and cannot be achieved overnight.

But what is the swollen-legged wasp in front of us?
This guy is the father of the longicorn!

He was cured severely!

After two days of sorting out the information, Huang Jinshui made a report to the State Forestry Administration on behalf of the province.

The swell-legged wasp is not mysterious, and the State Forestry Administration is very familiar with it, especially Wu Jian, chief engineer of the Afforestation Department.

Because it was he and pioneer Professor Xiao Gangrou who identified and named the swollen-legged wasp.

In 1983, he and Professor Xiao Gangrou published a paper entitled "An Effective Natural Enemy for Controlling Longhorn Beetles: Scleroderma guanii".

But more than 20 years have passed, and the application of swellable-legged wasps in actual production is still rare.

The ultimate reason is that the effect is not obvious. In the laboratory, the cultured swamp-legged wasps can parasitize the larvae of longhorn beetles.

But once you leave the laboratory, you will always encounter various problems.

Now someone has told Wu Jian that the swollen-legged wasp is very powerful in actual production, and the longhorn beetle larvae hiding in tree holes have nowhere to hide.

Wu Jian believed that Huang Jinshui would not joke about this matter, but he still confirmed again.
“Is the effect really that prominent?”

"I saw it with my own eyes, Mr. Wu. I've sent you all the information."

After Wu Jian finished reading it, the image of the swollen-legged wasp kept appearing in his mind. Just by looking at the photo, he felt that there was something different about this swollen-legged wasp.

It must be a carefully selected variety.

...

A few days later, the second batch of natural enemy insects including trichogrammatids, swollen-legged wasps, beetles, flower beetles, and pine beetles from the Natural Enemy Center arrived in Fujian Province one after another.

The efficiency and speed of prevention and control are also visibly good.

"A tube contains about 100 scleroderma, excluding transportation and release, and the average price is 0.1 yuan per head. This is a very affordable price, Director Yan."

Xu Xuenong suddenly started a business in Fujian Province, mainly because many forestry departments came to him after hearing the news.

Nanping Hulushan State Forest Farm is just one of them.

Director Yan stared at Xu Xuenong and said, "The forest farm has a total of 6.7 mu. One mu and one tube will cost or yuan. In addition, the cost is high. Mr. Xu, can you give me a discount?"

"You think I'm stupid!"

Xu Xuenong said angrily: "The Hulushan Forest Farm is full of longhorn beetles? Then your job as the farm manager is over.

At most it’s just a few thousand acres, and just a few tens of thousands of dollars.

Also, you really don’t want to use drones to drop them?”

Director Yan said: "We have released scleroderma before, and it will be more effective if we manually tie them to tree trunks."

"Actually, the effect is the same." Xu Xuenong muttered, but there was nothing he could do if the other party insisted. "Okay, it seems that we need to design more styles for this packaging."

There are still many forest farms that insist on manual management.

After investigating, Xu Xuenong found out that the forest farm still employed a lot of employees, and the deployment of drones would only add costs.

He could only observe a second of silence for the aerial defense team. It seemed that the money earned by the aerial defense team in the forest farm was also hard-earned.

During this period, he received a lot of orders from Fujian Province.

The more orders there are, the lower the production cost of natural enemy insects.

A tube sells for 10 yuan, but the actual production cost of the natural enemy factory's swollen-legged wasp can be controlled below 2 yuan per tube.

5 times the profit, what a great profit.

The forest farm also made a profit. The cost of prevention and control was only a dozen yuan per mu, which was greatly reduced compared with spraying pesticides.

The key point is that spraying pesticides only treats the symptoms and not the root cause, and needs to be done every year;
Once released, the scleroderma can continue to reproduce, and the number of scleroderma larvae will decrease as the number of longhorn beetles decreases.

One placement can ensure years of worry-free.

This is a win-win situation, both parties win.

Xu Xuenong was dreaming about getting rich for a while when suddenly the phone rang.

At a glance, oh, it's the boss. He has a very sensitive nose.

"Hey, boss..."

"You're in a good mood." Guo Yang joked, "It seems that the development in Fujian Province is going well. That's right, the State Forestry Administration even called me."

"It's OK. We received quite a few orders..."

Suddenly, Xu Xuenong reacted, "The State Forestry Administration called the boss?"

"Does Wu Jian, the chief engineer of the Afforestation Department, know about this?"

"Yes, he's a big shot in the field of forest entomology and forest protection." Xu Xuenong opened his mouth in surprise. "Why did he call you, the boss?"

(End of this chapter)