LHASA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- On the winding mountain paths, Liu Liping, from the plateau walnut industry research institute of Yangtze University, swiftly removed a label from her coat and carefully attached it to a newly grafted walnut branch.

Upon her arrival at Gyaca County, Shannan City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, in early 2020, she was astonished by the ancient walnut trees scattered throughout the county. A remarkable total of 3,657 millennia-old walnut trees formed a unique ancient walnut grove on the plateau.

The history of walnut cultivation in Gyaca dates back over 1,000 years. However, despite this rich history, local villagers have long struggled with the absence of scientific cultivation techniques and efficient production methods.

In the past, villagers didn't know how to properly plant walnut trees. "We crammed hundreds of trees into a narrow space, making it impossible even to walk through. The walnut trees grew thin and small, and the nuts were unusable," said Qi Lyu, Party branch secretary of a local village.

"Without those trees, the riverbanks were just barren land, easily buried by sand when strong winds blew," Qi said.

In March 2021, central China's Hubei Province launched its 2021 to 2025 science and technology pairing assistance program with Xizang. Liu joined the assistance talent team, where she devoted herself to local walnut variety selection, breeding, and cultivation management.

Liu had visited all 27 walnut-growing villages in Gyaca. "The villagers initially didn't understand the purpose of our work and were annoyed by our repeated visits," Liu recalled.

"Now we welcome Dr. Liu's visits. She taught us grafting and cultivation techniques, and the grafted walnut trees produce excellent fruit with high yields," said Goksang, a resident whose family has tended an ancient walnut tree.

The county's walnut cultivation has expanded to 520,000 trees across 45,000 mu (about 3,000 hectares), with an annual output of 1,200 tonnes and a total output value exceeding 80 million yuan (about 11.2 million U.S. dollars).

Six superior walnut trees have been successfully selected, and a 1,000-mu high-quality walnut cultivation demonstration base has been established in Gyaca. Since 2021, over 100,000 walnut trees have been planted along the Yarlung Zangbo River as part of the local ecological corridor project. This project has not only helped stabilize the soil and prevented sandstorms, but also created new income streams for residents, achieving positive ecological and economic outcomes.

Over 500 villagers have participated in grafting training sessions, including many farmers, said Zhang Rongceng, a grassroots young official, who has been working in Gyaca since 2022.

Beyond supplying local afforestation and agricultural development, Gyaca's walnut saplings are also used in the largest afforestation project in Lhasa, the regional capital of Xizang. The project has completed nearly 700,000 mu of afforestation since 2022, with an overall survival rate of around 85 percent.

Kan Simeng is in charge of an afforestation area of over 3,100 mu, situated at an altitude of over 3,700 meters. He traveled 200 kilometers to Gyaca, where he discovered walnut seedlings that are ideally suited for high-altitude planting.

"These saplings have a high survival rate, and their robust root systems also effectively stabilize the soil and prevent erosion," said Kan. Walnut trees have since blanketed mountains near Lhasa. ■