On June 16th, within the germplasm resource garden of the Luochuan Apple Experiment Station, researchers were meticulously recording growth data from hybrid offspring. Thirty kilometers away, in Laomiao Town, the high-speed four-channel sorting line at the Wang Zhanggui intelligent grading facility was in full swing, where each apple was being assigned a "digital identity" under the camera's lens, poised for a long journey to markets in Thailand and Dubai.

In recent years, Yan'an has steadfastly used technological innovation as its engine and the entire industrial chain as its lever, driving a systemic transformation of the apple industry. This transformation spans from germplasm research to intelligent sorting, and from traditional cultivation to global sales. From laboratories to orchards, and from sorting facilities to international markets, a host of core technologies are rapidly being commercialized, injecting powerful new momentum into the rural revitalization of this historic revolutionary base area.

Today, the innovative practices on the Luochuan plateau are yielding abundant results, gradually unfolding an industrial landscape where "a single apple connects the entire chain."

The Germplasm Resource Garden: Forging the Apple's "Chinese Core"

Within the 160-acre experimental zone of the Northwest A&F University Luochuan Apple Experiment Station in Yan'an, a silent revolution concerning the apple's "chip" has been underway for fourteen years.

"If we compare the apple industry to a building, then apple germplasm resources and superior varieties are the indispensable foundation," explained Zou Yangjun, a researcher at the station. For a long time, major apple varieties cultivated in China, such as the Fuji and Gala series, have been introduced from abroad, leaving the core germplasm resources dependent on foreign sources. The industry's "pain of lacking a core" is no less significant than that in the information technology sector.

Established jointly by Northwest A&F University and Yan'an City in 2012, the Luochuan Apple Experiment Station brings together multidisciplinary expert teams in fruit tree cultivation, breeding, and plant protection. These teams have been deeply rooted in the Weibei apple-producing region for years, conducting research, technical training, and demonstration and promotion activities.

"Since the station's establishment, we have selected and certified 13 new 'Qin' series apple varieties, including 'Qincui,' 'Qinmi,' and 'Qinxia.' Among them, 'Qincui' passed national certification in 2025 and has been promoted across over 500,000 mu nationwide, with benefits two to three times that of 'Red Fuji,'" said Ma Fengwang, a second-level professor at the university's College of Horticulture, speaking enthusiastically about apples.

For years, the station has prioritized germplasm resource conservation and new variety breeding, equipping the local apple industry with a "technological core." By the end of 2025, the station had 13 new varieties certified, all possessing independent intellectual property rights.

The germplasm resource garden is akin to establishing a "gene bank" for the apple industry—it no longer relies on imported varieties but instead designs and selects independently, much like manufacturing a chip, thus mastering the industry's lifeline from the source. Innovative forces, also rooted in Luochuan, are extending this technological gene from the breeding garden to the processing workshop.

The Intelligent Sorting Line: The Data-Enabled "Digital Orchardist"

In Laomiao Town, Luochuan County, an industrial revolution concerning apple "standardization" is taking place inside the intelligent sorting facility of Shaanxi Wang Zhanggui Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. The high-speed four-channel intelligent sorting line operates seamlessly, with high-definition cameras and near-infrared spectrometers working in concert.

Each apple is analyzed not just for size and weight, but also for metrics like sugar content, color, blemishes, and internal browning—akin to taking a "CT scan" of the apple. Only after passing the rigorous checks of twelve processing stages can the apples be graded and outputted according to quality. They then undergo secondary sorting, packing, and boxing before heading to market.

"Every single apple has an independent QR code identity, enabling full-process traceability and ensuring consumers can buy and eat with confidence," said Ma Yongchao, a staff member from the company's quality control department.

To lock in quality from the source, the company employs a "company + self-built planting base + cooperative + farmer" model. This approach develops specialized, standardized, and large-scale "contract-based" agriculture, deeply embedding the roots of the industrial chain in the fields. Simultaneously, it absorbs local labor, providing employment opportunities close to home. During peak periods, nearly a thousand workers are employed, cumulatively benefiting up to 24,000 people annually.

"We built the factory right at the farmers' doorstep, providing free technical guidance. Then we purchase their high-quality apples at prices above the market rate. This ensures we receive good products, and the farmers get a good price," said Wang Chao, the company's head.

Currently, Luochuan County's apple cultivation area has reached 530,000 mu, with over 60,000 mu certified for export. The county has nurtured 19 enterprises with export qualifications. Luochuan apples have exported over 1,700 tons of fresh fruit, with a value exceeding 15 million yuan, reaching more than 30 countries and regions worldwide.

Behind this robust sales performance is the continuous appreciation of the Luochuan apple brand. In 2025, the brand value of Luochuan apples was assessed at 101.629 billion yuan, making it the first regional public apple brand in China to surpass the 100 billion yuan mark and firmly securing the top spot for regional public brand value in Shaanxi Province.

The Closed-Loop Industrial Chain: The "Code" for Increased Income from Field to Globe

From germplasm innovation at the experiment station to intelligent sorting at Wang Zhanggui, a complete, closed-loop industrial chain is taking shape in Luochuan. The research end addresses "what to plant and how to plant it"—the "Yan'an · Luochuan Apple Standard Complex" formulated by the experiment station provides a scientific basis for the industry. The enterprise end tackles "how to select and where to sell"—market feedback from companies like Wang Zhanggui, in turn, pushes the experiment station to focus more on commercial viability and storage durability in its breeding direction.

The combined force from both ends forms an interlocking industrial gear system of "research—production—processing—sales." From the 4,000 entries in the germplasm "gene bank" to the 12-stage "data exam" on the intelligent sorting line, and from the farmers' account books showing increased income to the global orders crossing oceans—these three sets of "innovation codes" are deeply rooted in the Luochuan plateau, growing the abundant "intelligent fruits" of apple industry upgrading.

With the successful conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the commencement of the 15th, Yan'an is using the pen of technological innovation to write the answer sheet for the high-quality development of its apple industry across the Loess Plateau.