Green stretches across the mountains. Recently, on terraced Tea mountains in Huata Village, Guanzhai Township, Zijin County, neatly arranged and vigorously growing soybeans paint a unique pastoral landscape. This is precisely the “Grain and Tea Demonstration Garden” created by the Bijie Agricultural Sciences Academy in this village.
Zijin County Guanzhai Township Huata Village Grain and Tea Demonstration Garden
According to Senior Agronomist Ge Pingzhen, a provincial science and technology commissioner, this demonstration site is supported by technologies from the 2024 provincial science and technology commissioner demonstration base project and the Guizhou Province achievement transformation projects. With Zijin County Rui Li Agro-Materials Co., Ltd. as the implementing entity, the Bijie Agricultural Sciences Academy has initiated a new intercropping model of soybeans with young tea trees in the tea gardens on the hillsides of Huata Village, Guanzhai Township, Zijin County. The demonstration covers an area of 200 mu. The main soybean variety planted is the high-protein soybean variety “Bilv No. 2.” Soybeans are planted in two rows between the rows of young tea trees to suppress weed growth between the tea tree rows. This improves land utilization while forming a pattern of multiple crops and coexistence of various industries. Through this demonstration site, the “research institute + project + company + farmers” model is explored, continuously improving the grain and tea industry and exploring composite planting models, aiming to carve out a path to wealth through intercropping in the hillside areas.
“In 2025, the scientific and technological personnel of the Bijie Agricultural Sciences Academy have been exploring the intercropping model of soybeans with young tea trees in our company's tea garden base. Based on the field performance and income from soybeans in 2025, we will continue to cooperate with the Bijie Agricultural Sciences Academy in 2024 to demonstrate the intercropping model of soybeans with young tea trees. Producing another season of soybeans on limited land resources generates income that can cover the labor costs for maintaining young tea trees. The demonstration effect is significant,” said Wang Lianghai, the person in charge of Zijin County Rui Li Agro-Materials Co., Ltd.