Chapter 543: Monsanto of the Ming Dynasty (Fourth update, please subscribe)
In October 1864, thousands of laborers came to the wilderness in the southwest suburbs of Nanhua. In the following two years, tall buildings, playgrounds, artificial lakes, and gardens appeared here. This is the University of Nanhua.
It was in that year that Zhu Xianhai proposed to establish a university in order to promote higher education in Nanhua. Although Nanhua already had several higher vocational colleges at that time, Zhu Xianhai's goal was to establish a world-class university.
At the time, it seemed like a bit of a rush, after all, Nanhua didn't have a professor of its own.
If you don't have any connections, you can just spend money to hire someone from outside. Anyway, scientists in this era are all circulating among each other!
While the campus was being built, headhunters stationed in the European and American branches began their "hunting" journey. Their "hunting" target was outstanding scholars and professors from various countries. In return for high salaries, when the university opened in March 1866, the 78 professors and lecturers in the school, except for a few lecturers who taught Chinese studies, the other professors were mostly from European countries, and most of them were professors or lecturers at universities. Their arrival allowed the University of South China to reach a certain academic peak from the very beginning, after all, most of its professors were world-class.
However, there are exceptions. In the Department of Agriculture, there was a scholar from Austria. Others in the university called him "Father". He was indeed a priest. In fact, Mendel was a member of the Austrian Office in Hungary. He was found from the monastery according to the list provided by Zhu Xianhai. He had conducted a hybridization experiment on peas in the monastery. This experiment lasted for 8 years from 1856 to 1864. Although Mendel compiled the results of his research into a paper "Plant Hybridization Experiment" as early as 1865, it did not attract the attention of the academic community at that time.
After all, Mendel's experiment was far ahead of its time, and the scientific community lacked the ideological basis to understand Mendel's law. Although he was not taken seriously in Europe, Zhu Xianhai still included him in the list of thousands of "experts and scholars to be introduced" - according to Zhu Xianhai's plan, in order to promote the development of industrial technology, it would take ten years to introduce 1,000 experts and scholars from various industries, which was basically equivalent to catching all the well-known scholars he could think of in the 1870s and even the 1880s.
The introduction of these experts and scholars will not only accelerate the development of science and technology in the Ming Dynasty, but will also bring the education of the Ming Dynasty to a new level.
However, among the experts and scholars introduced, Mendel was an exception. This eccentric man who was introduced for "nothing to do" reclaimed a piece of land behind the College of Agriculture after arriving at the University of South China, and conducted wheat breeding experiments all day long.
Since January 1866, this lecturer with a big head and a slightly fat body has devoted himself to this experimental field. Of course, as a university lecturer, he also teaches botany and mathematics in class.
"Mr. Meng, the wheat in field No. 13 is growing much better than before. I estimate that the yield should be able to increase by more than 20%."
The student's words brought a smile to Mendel's face.
"If that's the case, we can report our experimental results this year."
Mendel, who was born in a poor farming family, was very fond of natural science, although he had no interest in religion and theology. However, in order to escape from the life of hunger and cold, he had to enter the monastery against his will and become a monk. When he received the invitation from the University of South China, he immediately abandoned everything and came to the New World.
Entering a university and becoming a professor was exactly what Mendel wanted. On the ship to Nanhua, he had been thinking hard about how to prove his worth to the school. It was obviously impossible to rely on the "pea hybridization experiment" that no one could understand.
As a scholar, Mendel was never a pedantic person. In fact, to some extent, he always longed for his talent to be recognized by the world.
While he was grateful for the recognition and support from the University of South China, he was also eager to prove to the university through relevant research that their choice was correct.
After learning that flour was Nanhua's most important export commodity, he chose wheat as a breakthrough point. On the day he arrived in Nanhua, he began to conduct wheat hybridization experiments. In order to obtain as many seeds as possible, he wrote letters to India, Egypt, Canada, the United States and other parts of the world to purchase seeds of different wheats.
After getting these seeds, Mendel, who was overjoyed, carefully planted them in the experimental field and took good care of them. Year after year, with the help of more than a dozen students, Mendel patiently cross-pollinated hundreds of wheat varieties, and each time he kept the best seeds for selection and use in the next year. He and his students recorded detailed information about each variety in their notebooks: where it came from, which varieties it was cross-bred with, its growth cycle, yield, weather, and so on.
"The yield of the experimental field has increased by 20%, but the yield of field planting may be less than 10%, which means there is potential for further improvement."
Mendel adjusted the frame of his glasses, gazed at the experimental field through the gold-rimmed glasses, and the smile on his face grew wider.
It’s been 5 years!
Finally saw the results!
Where there is a will, there is a way. After five years, Meng Deli finally bred a new variety of wheat through sexual hybridization. The wheat he bred had a higher yield and higher quality than other varieties of wheat.
"Hybrid wheat!"
After learning that the wheat yield bred by Mendel increased by 21.5%, Zhu Xianhai was stunned for a long time. Originally, he invited Mendel to make the University of South China the founding school of "Genetics", but he never thought that Mendel actually bred a new type of hybrid wheat.
In fact, hybrid wheat is nothing new. Wheat hybrid breeding began in the mid-nineteenth century. After the rediscovery of Mendel's laws in the early 20th century, wheat hybrid breeding finally developed rapidly. And now... well, the grandmaster has stepped in.
It’s really extraordinary!
However, the increase of less than 22% may seem like a lot, but the basic wheat yield was very low in that era. The average per-acre wheat yield in the Ming Dynasty was only 120 kilograms. Even with an increase of 20%, it still did not exceed 140 kilograms.
"It has increased by 21.5%. Even though the yield has decreased after switching to field planting, it is still an extremely impressive number when viewed from the perspective of the entire Ming Dynasty. Hmm..."
After thinking for a while, Zhu Xianhai said to Li Weimin, the Minister of Education of the Ming Dynasty.
"This is a blockbuster, isn't it? His name can be included in this year's education awards. We will never be stingy in giving scholars reputation and money!"
For many scholars, what they care about is never money, but reputation. Since the Ming Dynasty is not stingy with money, what does it matter if it is just a reputation?
However, the rewards given by the Ming Dynasty are not just honor, but also corresponding bonuses.
Even Zhu Xianhai has already had a corresponding plan to launch the Ming Dynasty's "Explosive Prize" when the time is right. Of course, by that time it will definitely not be called the "Explosive Prize" anymore.
But what is certain is that this award will have a greater influence around the world in the future than the so-called "Dynamite Award".
After all, even now the bonuses awarded to scholars by the Ming Dynasty are extremely generous.
"In the final analysis, it is still your majesty who has a good eye for talent. When he was first introduced, he was not famous at all. Some people think that introducing those people is a waste of time and money. However, from the past few years, the candidates selected by your majesty, even if they do not have any results for a while, will soon achieve quite amazing achievements in many aspects. In the final analysis, they should still thank your majesty, after all, it is your majesty who has prevented their pearls from being lost in the dust."
Isn't this nonsense!
Zhu Xianhai thought to himself that anyone whose name he could remember and wrote on the list must be a famous scholar in the history of science. They had already shone in history, and now that they had come here and had a better environment, how could they not shine?
Each and every one of them will not only shine, but will also shine brighter than ever before in history!
Compared to politicians, these scholars are the true light of humanity!
"Gold will always shine!"
Zhu Xianhai said modestly, and after thinking for a while, he added.
"Since it is a high-quality variety, we must promote it. Well, let's set up a high-quality variety breeding company and call it... well, let's call it Monsanto!"
Monsanto, well, this name is quite weird. In another world, this name is notorious, but in this world!
The name could definitely be reinterpreted.
"The seeds cultivated by Mendel can even grow on the mountains!"
Zhu Xianhai explained directly.
A few years later, thanks to the promotion of Monsanto, the hybrid wheat bred by Mendel became famous in the international market for its stable yield and extremely high quality, and grain traders from all over the world flocked to Ming Dynasty's wheat.
Of course, this is all a story for later. Whether it was Mendel's hybrid wheat breeding or the establishment of Monsanto, it meant that Ming Dynasty's agricultural science had reached a new level. With the academic support of "genetics" and Monsanto's financial support, Ming Dynasty's seed breeding work was also on the right track, which also meant a new era of agriculture.
Of course, as a scholar, Mendel also achieved success and became a world-renowned scholar. To a certain extent, he even became the "horse bone" of the Ming Dynasty. Mendel's achievements in the Ming Dynasty aroused the envy of countless European scholars.
After all, before Mendel came to Ming Dynasty, he was just an unknown person. However, here he not only became a university professor, but also obtained research resources that were unimaginable in Europe.
In the following decades, countless young European scholars came to this country, this hotbed of science...
I will try harder in the evening, and if possible, there will be another update at 8-9 o'clock! Please give me a monthly ticket, a subscription, or a reward. All kinds of requests!
(End of this chapter)
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