A nutrition package from the Agricultural University helps a carpenter realize his dream of cultivating mandarin oranges.

Guangxi lies in the subtropical monsoon climate zone, nurturing an abundance of precious flora and fauna. It is especially renowned for its bountiful fruit production, earning it the nickname “the Hometown of Fruit.” With summer just beginning, Ning Chuangxu strolled through the orchard at dawn; shrouded in morning mist, the small, delicate fruits on the trees looked all the more enticing.

Ning Chuangxu is a fruit farmer from Lingshan County, Qinzhou, Guangxi. In his younger years, he was a renowned carpenter throughout the surrounding area, with clients coming to him in droves to commission furniture. As wooden houses have gradually fallen out of favor and modern manufacturing techniques have grown increasingly popular, demand for traditional craftsmanship has steadily declined. Yet Ning Chuangxu remains committed to his artisanal ethos, believing that meticulous work yields exquisite results. To this day, his home is filled with an array of wood materials, and many people still visit him, seeking his expertise in crafting custom furniture.

         Influenced by his neighbors, Ning Chuangxu embarked on citrus cultivation in 2011, contracting more than twenty mu of land at once and planting it all with Gonggan oranges.

         At first, he was completely baffled by citrus‑cultivation practices such as fertilization, pruning, and pest‑and‑disease management—he didn’t understand a thing. After planting the citrus seedlings, eager for a bountiful harvest, he promptly purchased the most renowned fertilizer on the market and even applied an extra cubic meter of chicken manure per mu, hoping to see his trees thrive.

         However, a few years later, he found that his citrus trees were not thriving and yielded few marketable fruits. This came as a severe blow; his neighbors kept criticizing him, saying he simply wasn’t cut out for growing citrus. That day, he sat in the orchard all day, smoking four packs of cigarettes.

         Driven by the unwavering dedication of a true craftsman, Ning Chuangxu refused to be discouraged. To cultivate high‑quality citrus, he purchased numerous books on citrus cultivation and management, consulted many experts, and attended countless technical seminars. One day, after attending a training session led by agricultural‑chemical specialists from the Agricultural University’s fertilizer division, he gained invaluable insights. He engaged in on‑site discussions with the experts and even invited them to his orchard for a thorough field diagnosis and guidance. This finally helped him pinpoint the root cause of the problem, completely turning around the orchard’s previously poor performance.

         Following the guidance of agricultural‑chemical experts from Nongda Fertilizer, Ning Chuangxu has been managing his orchard by applying the Nongda Nutrient Package fertilizer they developed. Starting with soil conditioning, he has also boosted the growth of both the trees’ root systems and their foliage, leading to a steady improvement in the citrus trees’ vigor and a vibrant, thriving appearance. Today, the citrus he grows is large, sweet, high‑yielding, and of excellent quality—fetching a higher price than that of his neighbors. As a result, nearby fruit growers often visit his orchard to chat and seek his advice. Thanks to his success in cultivating fruit trees, Guangxi Television even paid him a visit for an on‑site interview, and his family has since purchased two new cars.

         His connection with citrus has brought Ning Chuangxu both fame and fortune, making citrus an integral part of his life. Now, he hopes to lead by example, urging more people to prioritize soil health and crop quality. “I want to guide the entire village in adopting the Agricultural University’s nutrient‑rich fertilizer package, so that our village’s citrus can reach international markets and fetch a good price!”