Continuously carry out aerial seeding afforestation to build a green ecological Protective Screen

In recent years, the first division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar City, has been planting trees and restoring greenery on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, steadily carrying out work such as returning farmland to forests and preventing desertification. Ecological protective screen have turned the Gobi Desert into a beautiful oasis. Starting from 2022, Alar City continues carrying out aerial afforestation work on the edge of deserts and desertified areas with the goal of "seeking benefits and green from the desert ". This year, the aerial seeding area will exceed 20,000 hectares, which also provides important practical basis for increasing vegetation coverage in the Taklamakan Desert area, restoring the Tarim River Basin and surrounding ecological environment

（The plane took off for an air sowing operation. Photo by Lin Guoqiang  ）

As the number of autumn aerial seeding operations continues to increase, in recent days, Sinoway Forest, which is responsible for this work, has reasonably allocated aircrafts and continuously carried out timely operations to ensure the survival rate and germination rate of aerial seeding afforestation operations. At the same time, the company has utilized the characteristics of high efficiency, low cost, and precise operation areas of aerial seeding afforestation. This year, it has carried out over 180 aerial seeding operations in Tanan Town of the 12th Regiment and Chang'an Town of the 10th Regiment, covering an area of nearly 4666.7 hectares.

Wang Xinpeng, General Manager of Sinoway Forest, said, "Currently, we arrange 5 to 6 aerial seeding operations per day, and the operating area is approximately between 133.3hectares to 166.7 hectares. At full load, there should be around 15 aerial seeding operations per day."

 （The workers are processing the tree balls. Photo by Lin Guoqiang）

In order to improve the efficiency and quality of aerial seeding afforestation operations, this year, Sinoway Forest has set up a special processing area for "tree seed balls" in the aerial seeding afforestation base, where on-site production and drying of "tree species balls" used for aerial seeding. The company has also added four drought resistant and saline alkali tolerant tree species, including Camel thorn, Artemisia annua, Caragana koraiensis, and Haloxylon ammodendron. The processing technology of "tree seed balls" has been optimized and improved to provide favorable conditions for seeds germination and increase vegetation coverage.

This year, we have adjusted the geographical selection and seed balls production process of the entire aerial seeding, increasing plant diversity and improving vegetation surface coverage Wang Xinpeng said

（The workers fitted the aircraft with tree balls. Photo by Lin Guoqiang）

In 2022, the total area of aerial seeding afforestation operations in Tuan Town on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Alar City exceeded 3333.3 hectares. At present, the "tree seed balls" in the aerial seeding afforestation area has sprouted and grown for over a year, and some seeds have already emerged. By making reasonable use of natural precipitation and ecological water replenishment, the operational density of aerial seeding afforestation is increased, and timely replanting, and young forest nurturing work is carried out to ensure the completion of the task of 20,000 hectares aerial seeding afforestation.

"Based on the on-site inspection of last year's aerial seeding, the overall emergence rate is far beyond our expectations." Wang Xinpeng said, "For the next step, we will strengthen cooperation with universities and national scientific research institutions, do a good job in tackling aerial seeding afforestation projects in the arid desert areas of southern Xinjiang, improve technological content, and lay the foundation for large-scale aerial seeding afforestation in the entire northwest region, forming good ecological and economic benefits."