This is how black technology should be used

Chapter 287 Death Lake Test Site
The traditional way of transforming the desert is not easy, but people have summed up three methods.

The first is the engineering method, the most famous and commonly used is the "grass grid sand barrier", that is, the square wheat straw wall is used to fix the sand and soil, and it is usually used on both sides of the desert road. The disadvantage is that it has little effect in places with excessive wind and sand. .

The second is a chemical method, that is, spraying a sand-fixing agent on the sand surface to solidify the surface of the sand body to prevent the sand from flowing.

The third is the well-known plant method, such as planting sandy plants and using drip irrigation technology to maintain soil moisture, which has a certain effect on desertification control, but because plants are difficult to grow in sand bodies, the cost is extremely high, and it is difficult to Mass promotion.

If you want to control the desert, the biggest problem is the dispersion and mobility of sand, so people thought that it would be great if they could "turn sand into soil".

Don't tell me, someone actually achieved it a few years ago.

A domestic research team carefully analyzed the mechanical properties of the soil and found that the soil has two mechanical states.

are the solid state when dry and the rheological state when wet, respectively.

And these two states can be transformed into each other.

Due to these two characteristics of the soil, the soil has two functions of self-repair and self-regulation.

Among them, self-healing means that the soil is cracked and damaged in a solid state when it is dry, and can become a rheological state after absorbing water, so that the damaged soil can be repaired.

It is stable, long-lasting, and is the prerequisite for the continuous growth of the soil.

Self-regulation means that the change of the arrangement of soil particles will not destroy the properties of the soil, that is, the properties of the soil will not change when the soil is kneaded casually. Only in this way can the soil allow plants to grow in it.

And keep the plants with "gentle" force, becoming an ideal carrier for plants.

They then explored why the soil took this form.

They believe that this is because the soil has the characteristics of "everything combined constraints", that is, any two particles in the soil can be combined from any direction, so that the soil has self-repairing and self-regulating eco-mechanical properties.

It is this constraint that allows the soil to "hug" the plant roots with a gentle force, keep the plant stable, and hold water, fertilizer, and breath.

But there is no such constraint between sand grains, so it appears as a plate of loose sand.

If this kind of "everything combination constraint" can be made to appear between sand grains, then "desert soil" may be realized.

On this theoretical basis, they put forward the principle of "sand turning into soil" for the first time.

In order to turn sand into soil, it is necessary to give the sand "everything combined constraints".

Finally, after repeated experiments, they extracted a plant fiber binder from plants.

When a bucket of water is poured on ordinary sand, the water seeps down quickly.

But mix this adhesive into the sand, and then add the same amount of water, and in about 2 minutes, the original golden yellow sand will turn dark brown, very sticky to the touch, and will not fall apart when held by hand.

After the mixed "soil" is formed into a pit and water is poured into it, the water will not be lost.

They even carried out a 3-year planting experiment in the laboratory.

First, they conducted small-scale experiments on balconies and roofs, and then started larger-scale experiments after initial results.

They found a piece of land, first spread 30 cm thick gravel on the ground, then spread about 30 cm of construction sand on the gravel, and then covered 10 to 20 cm with soil-like sand formed by adding different binders, on top Corn, sweet potato, radish and rape have been planted.

The result is remarkable results, and the plants are growing well.

After several years of experimentation, the team felt that the technology was basically mature, and decided to conduct a field desert soil ecological restoration experiment.

They set up a 25-acre experimental field in the desert, which is one of the most difficult deserts to manage due to the low average annual rainfall and severe wind erosion.

Since it is going to be done, it is the most difficult start. If it can be successful here, then all the places are trivial.

When they added plant fiber binders to the sand, the sand was fixed immediately and showed long-lasting resistance to wind erosion, which matched the previous test data very well.

More than 70 kinds of plants, such as corn, wheat, sunflower, and ornamental grass, were planted in the experimental field, and the results were vigorous and blossomed.

Frogs, birds and many insects made their homes in the desert oasis as large as two football fields, and foxes, badgers and wild cats also visited it from time to time. The desert field experiment was a success.

After the success here, the research team conducted a larger planting experiment with a total area of ​​4000 mu!

In the beginning, the place was so desolate that there wasn't even a single dead plant, except sand.

The scientific research team adopted a large-scale mechanized planting method here, spreading the restrained materials on the desert surface, adding an appropriate amount of water, and using a rotary tiller to perform rotary tillage. Rotary tillage was repeated several times to make it even, and the planting began a few days later. .

However, the work is not all smooth sailing.

The first three large-scale sowing experiments they conducted all ended in failure. Either the strong wind broke the waist of the newly born seedlings, or the sand completely submerged the seedlings.

Later, researchers invented a "small quilt", covering the seedlings with a thin layer of grain grass, which is breathable and windproof, so that the seedlings can grow.

This is much better.

When the test is successful, the test base will grow into an oasis about 800 meters wide and stretching nearly 4 kilometers.

About 70 kinds of plants are growing well. Crops such as sorghum and alfalfa have a good harvest. Watermelons, eggplants, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables have high yields and good taste.

Because the plants grow so well and produce a lot of melons and fruits, foxes, rabbits, and mice are attracted to the base to look for food. The staff have to try their best to eliminate the mice.

What's even more powerful is that the scientific research team specially left a non-irrigated experimental field, and the Artemisia annua and Satawang they planted here successfully germinated and survived.

This means that the ecology of the base has been effectively restored, and drought-tolerant plants can still survive without artificial irrigation.

Through the test, the economy of the test area has been verified. Compared with conventional desert control methods, this technology has the characteristics of low cost, obvious water saving, environmental protection and safety, and rapid promotion. It can be implemented in deserts that are close to water sources or have sufficient groundwater. "Sand turns to soil."

Moreover, one-time addition is effective for a long time, because the adhesive itself is durable, and after the root system of the grown plant rots, it becomes a new constraint, forming a virtuous circle of ecology.

It's just that such a good technology still hasn't changed the existing desert pattern, and even most of the methods to control desertification are still traditional methods.

why?
There are many problems to be solved.

First of all, this technology can change the physical cohesion of the sand, but it cannot change the fertility of the sand itself, that is, it cannot become arable "soil" in a short period of time.

It requires artificial application of water and fertilizer during the first few plowings, which lasts several times, plus the birth and death of plants several times, until it turns into humus and mixes with sand and soil.

The second problem is lack of water.

Desert soil transformation must use water, because the desert cannot store water, and the water can be locked after using adhesives, but where the water comes from is still a big problem.

Not only water is needed to make adhesives, but also water is needed for later plant growth, and it is still a lot of water.

After all, they not only planted drought-tolerant plants, but also planted a large number of cash crops.

Shipping all the way from elsewhere?
It's okay to be next to a town or a river or lake, but what if it's far away?
Then the cost goes up.

Therefore, whether there is water in the test site has become an important constraint for expanding the planting area.

Relevant experts said: "Desertization is a complex socio-economic system project, which requires sufficient scientific demonstration and the satisfaction of necessary conditions, such as water that meets irrigation requirements."

"The focus of this technology is to curb the trend of desertification and improve the desertified soil. If the effect is good, it can be promoted on the basis of economic conditions, water resource conditions, ecological balance and other considerations."

In addition, the whole process requires the participation of scientific researchers and high-tech personnel, and requires intensive cultivation and operation of various equipment. Ordinary people cannot participate in such work, which seriously limits its large-scale operation.

From the current situation, it can be seen that this technology has obviously failed economically, so it has not been applied on a large scale.

Of course, there is also a possibility that the technical failure will cause all kinds of troubles.

If the technology is advanced enough, it certainly doesn't need to be so complicated.

Just like the technology shown by Li Future now.

It has two core things, one is "super desert moss" and the other is "super nutrient solution".

Moss is mutated by means of technology to make it more vigorous, able to survive in the harshest environment, and has a well-developed root system and many fibers, which can fix the top layer of sand and prevent any wind from blowing it.

The composition of the nutrient solution is quite special. It contains water and special nutrients. It can make the super moss grow and die quickly. When it grows, the roots and fibers can fix the sand, and after it rots after death, it can change the composition of the desert.

Others mix sand into rice, but it mixes "rice" into the sand, and uses the accumulation layer of plant residues and humus layer to transform the desert into the direction of soil.

Its only problem is that the production of nutrient solution consumes too much energy. If it was before, this would be a very large cost.

But when the second controllable fusion reactor is ignited, it's... not a problem at all.

At that time, the "seeds" of moss will be completely mixed in the nutrient solution. You only need to use a plane or vehicle to spread pesticides, or simply put them in the water tank of a firefighting plane, or a sprinkler, as long as they are sprinkled in the desert.

Of course, other places where they are needed are also available.

The nutrient solution will form a temporary adhesive film on the loose desert surface, preventing the wind from blowing away the sand in that area, and then the moss "seeds" will absorb the water and nutrients in the nutrient solution to grow rapidly.

The ability of super moss to fix sand is much stronger than that of nutrient solution. They can completely fix a thick layer of sand. When they form a huge "creep", no matter how the wind blows, that piece of sand will not move. .

Although the sand from other places will blow over, but... just right.

The growth cycle of "creep" is about half a month, and it will die after half a month, and the nutrition and water during this period are all taken care of by the initial nutrient solution.

After the "creep" dies, they will quickly rot, and the sand-fixing effect will drop sharply, and they will also mix with the newly blown sand from above.

But it doesn't matter, the second batch of "seed nutrient solution" will quickly cover it, and then grow on this humus layer mixed with sand.

The reason why the second time is to put it in completely, instead of using the nutrient solution to catalyze the "seeds" left by the previous generation, is because the previous generation did not leave any "seeds" at all.

This is done to prevent invasive species.

After all, the vitality of this kind of plant is quite strong. If they can keep growing, it is estimated that not only will the desert be turned into an oasis, but even all the nutrients of other plants in the world will be taken away, and then the whole earth will be turned into an oasis. green.

including at sea.

So to limit their growth, just let them grow once.

According to the experimental data of practical science and technology, it takes 4 to 8 growth cycles, that is, 2 to 4 months of transformation time, and trees can be planted in deserts and places with serious soil erosion.

Wait until the woods grow the fertility and moisture of the land, and it can be reclaimed into farmland.

At that time, scientific methods will be used for farming, and there will be forests guarding the periphery, so there is no need to worry about the desert invading again.

However, because of this model, the first batch of green areas will definitely not be common places where there is no rain, but beside lakes and rivers in deserts or Gobi.

Whether it is fresh water or salt water, it always has water. With that water, whether it is the soil transformation of sandy land in the early stage or the afforestation in the later stage, it will be much more convenient.

When these oases relying on the water system take shape, or even become bigger and bigger, their environment and water content will definitely change.

Then use them as anchor points to spread out. When the oasis gets bigger and bigger and finally connects together, it must be very spectacular.

Regardless of whether you look down from the earth or the sky, many deserts and Gobi areas are all yellow. In fact, there are many large and small lakes in those places.

And Li Weilai held a meeting with the official people to discuss it, and quickly selected an experimental location-Death Lake.

The Death Lake is not a scary place, but as a big lake, there is no vegetation on its lakeside, it is completely Gobi and yellow sand.

Other desert lakes, big or small, will always have some vegetation, and some will even form oases.

But there is no Death Lake. As a large lake in the starry desert, it is even a freshwater lake, but it contains more minerals, and there are really no plants around it.

Moreover, the general sand control is near towns or roads, because the desert is almost invading the human living boundary, so various protective forests and sand fixation methods are being used.

The reason why this experiment is in a place far away from human habitation is that it is afraid that the experiment will get out of control and affect human beings.

In the desert of no one, there is a buffer distance and time for anything to happen.

Although they have done a lot of experiments in the laboratory, they still have to take precautions.

"Okay, so be it, I will contact the forces that can be used around the lake of death, and prepare to participate in this big operation."

"You have to hurry up on the production of super nutrient solution, there will be a lot of..."

While they were nervously preparing for the first large-scale field experiment of super nutrient solution and super desert moss, the space center was also busy.

One month has passed, and the second flight of the Optimus rocket is about to be carried out. This time, what is being carried is not the cabin of the "amusement park", but the important cabin of the second phase of the Starry Space Station - the rotating simulated gravity cabin!

(End of this chapter)