183: Chapter 183 Agricultural Revolution: 10,000 Jin per Mu is No Longer a Dream
"Bright Dawn" base, fifteenth floor underground, B7 Agricultural Ecological Experimental Zone.
The air here carried the faint, earthy scent of soil and the unique freshness of plants, a stark contrast to the cold metallic and ozone smells of the rest of the base.
The massive space was divided into dozens of independent units, simulating different climates ranging from tropical rainforests to temperate plains. But in the core A01 unit, the scene was somewhat surreal.
There was no soil.
At least, not soil in the traditional sense.
On rows of silver-gray multi-layered cultivation racks, dense root systems were submerged in a slowly flowing, transparent solution rich in nutrient ions. Above, adjustable-spectrum LED light sources simulated the most optimal light cycles. The air circulation system precisely controlled temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. On the racks, stalks of rice were jointing, heading, and filling at a speed almost visible to the naked eye—from sowing to maturity, the entire process was compressed into a staggering thirty-five days!
Senior Academician Wu Jiugeng, an agronomist who had spent his entire life dealing with the soil and whose face was etched with the marks of time, was currently carefully cradling a stalk of rice that had just finished filling, its heavy head bending the stalk. His eyes, behind reading glasses, were almost pressed against the grains. His hands were trembling slightly.
"A miracle... truly a miracle..." His voice was choked with emotion. "The plant height is moderate, it's lodging-resistant, the number of tillers is five to eight times that of conventional varieties, and the number of grains per panicle... I counted three times, it's over four hundred and twenty on average! And the filling is so plump!"
He looked up abruptly at Lin Mo, who was checking the nutrient solution data nearby, his eyes filled with a near-reverent light: "Consultant Lin! That 'Nitrogen Fixation Enhancement and Stress Resistance Gene Library' you provided... the modification logic inside is simply revolutionary! It doesn't just allow the crops to fix nitrogen from the air themselves; it also optimizes the key enzyme pathways of photosynthesis, strengthens root absorption efficiency for phosphorus and potassium, and even embeds gene segments that resist common diseases, drought, and salinity! This, this is no longer breeding; this is... redesigning life!"
Lin Mo put down the tablet in his hand, which displayed the real-time physiological data of this batch of rice. "Old Wu, let the data speak. With this fully enclosed vertical farming system combined with the optimized variety, what can the theoretical annual yield reach when converted to traditional per-mu yield?"
A young agricultural engineer nearby immediately pulled up the calculation model, his voice sharp with excitement: "Based on the full thirty-five-day cycle data of this first batch, with sufficient energy and nutrient solution supply, the annualized yield per unit area... converted to traditional farmland per-mu yield, exceeds eighteen thousand kilograms!"
"Eighteen thousand... kilograms?" Academician Wu Jiugeng swayed, and a student beside him quickly steadied him. The old man muttered: "Per-mu yield... thirty-six thousand jin? This, this..."
This had already surpassed the dream of "ten thousand jin per mu," reaching a near-mythical number. One must know that the current global average rice yield per mu is only around four hundred kilograms. This was a direct increase of more than forty times!
"But this requires an all-weather artificial environment, huge energy and resource input..." Old Wu was, after all, a rigorous scientist. Recovering from the shock, he immediately thought of the key issue.
"Therefore, it cannot completely replace traditional agriculture, especially in the initial stages." Lin Mo nodded and switched screens to display another set of plans. "This is a 'universal' seed based on the same gene library but adapted for open-field farming, only strengthening nitrogen fixation, stress resistance, and photosynthetic efficiency. Laboratory simulations and preliminary small-scale field trials show that under existing farming conditions, combined with the new bio-fertilizer (based on soil-restoring microbial communities) we are launching simultaneously, the average yield increase is between 300% and 500%, with water demand reduced by 30% and disease resistance significantly improved."
"Three hundred to five hundred..." Old Wu's eyes widened again. "That is also incredible! If promoted globally, combined with reasonable crop rotation and ecological restoration, the food problem..." The old man was too excited to speak. He knew the taste of hunger too well, and he understood too clearly what food security meant for a civilization, especially one under the shadow of war.
"The GDA Livelihood Coordination Committee has approved the 'Golden Harvest' plan." Lin Mo pulled up a global map, and points of light began to appear on it. "In the first phase, twenty geographically and climatically representative regions across six continents will be selected to establish large-scale vertical farm complexes as strategic reserve grain production bases and centers for seed multiplication. At the same time, in fifty major agricultural countries, a rapid breeding and distribution network for 'universal' seeds will be launched, supervised jointly by national agricultural research institutes and GDA experts."
He pointed to some red-marked areas on the map: "These are lands previously abandoned due to pollution, desertification, or war. The 'Rapid Soil Restoration Microbial Community' technology will be piloted in these places simultaneously. 'system' simulations show that, combined with our climate regulation and ecological models, large swathes of barren land can recover basic farming capabilities within three to five years."
Academician Wu Jiugeng looked at the global agricultural map that was gradually lighting up, as if regaining vitality, and tears streamed down his face. He grabbed Lin Mo's hand and shook it vigorously: "Consultant Lin! On behalf of farmers everywhere, on behalf of everyone who might go hungry, thank you! Thank you!"
This was not mere politeness; this was the simplest gratitude of an old agricultural scientist. This was not just a game of yield numbers; it meant that under the shadow of the "Purifiers," the most fundamental survival need of human civilization—eating—had received unprecedented security. It meant the cornerstone of social stability had been reinforced, and people could have a little less fear of famine and a little more confidence in the future.
The news could not be completely sealed off, nor was there any need to.
When the first batch of "universal" high-yield seeds began to be sown in Northeast Longguo, the Ganges Plain in India, the black soil of Ukraine, and other places, and when the first "Golden Harvest No. 1" vertical farm—standing one hundred meters tall, occupying only a few hectares, yet claiming an annual production capacity of one hundred thousand tons of grain—rose from the ground in the North China Plain of Longguo, related images and data (appropriately processed) began to be released to the global public through media channels under GDA supervision.
At first, there was skepticism.
"Thousands of jin per mu? Bragging, right? Another exaggerated claim?"
"Vertical farm? Sounds sci-fi, how high must the cost be? It must be a vanity project!"
But soon, skepticism was shattered by facts.
Videos began to circulate of farmers who participated in the pilot sowing, grinning from ear to ear during the harvest season as they looked at the heavy, far-surpassing-previous-yields rice and wheat waves. Although specific data was blurred, the scene of the harvest could not be faked.
Outside the "Golden Harvest No. 1" farm, agricultural officials and expert representatives from all over the world visited under strict management every day. Watching the crops growing vigorously in the clean environment, observing the operation of the fully automated management system, and seeing the staggering numbers on the production reports, all their doubts turned into shock and urgency—when will it be our country's turn?
What made the general public feel even more at ease was that the GDA simultaneously announced it would establish a global food strategic reserve and allocation mechanism to ensure that any member state could obtain basic food security when encountering natural disasters or production fluctuations. At the same time, the new seeds and supporting technologies would be provided to all GDA member states at an extremely low licensing fee (almost free of charge), provided they accept unified production standards and quality supervision.
Food, the root cause of countless wars and suffering since ancient times, under the blessing of black technology, was transforming from a scarce commodity into an abundant basic resource, from an object of contention to a bond of unity.
In the farm, Academician Wu Jiugeng squatted by the experimental field, grabbed a handful of the improved, soft, and fertile soil, took a deep breath, and a pure, childlike smile appeared on his face.
In the city, a housewife looked at the still-plentiful and stably priced grain, oil, vegetables, and meat in the supermarket, and the worry about the future in her heart quietly dissipated a little.
At the front line, new recruits undergoing training and workers working overtime in factories, upon learning the news that food in the rear was secure, seemed to have a solid strength injected into their straightened backs.
Lin Mo stood on the observation deck of the "Bright Dawn" base, watching the progress bar of the "Golden Harvest" plan on the screen advance steadily, and watching on the "civilization cornerstone" tech tree, on the branch of [Root system · Efficient Agriculture and Ecological Restoration], the first node [Nitrogen Fixation Enhancement and Stress Resistance Gene Library (Plant)] slowly lit up, extending several thin branches representing different crop optimization and ecological restoration projects.
system points increased by 1200, a recognition of the initial results.
The foundation of agriculture was being reshaped, and next, another revolution concerning the length and quality of everyone's life—medicine—had its blueprint already unfolding before him.