The recent research initiative aimed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, identifying the key challenges hindering the development of the rice industry. "The mission of the Science and Technology Backyard is not just to teach farming techniques but to shoulder responsibility and bring warmth to local farmers," reads a heartfelt entry from the team at the Liangping Grain and Oil Science and Technology Backyard in Chongqing. This sentiment captures the essence of the "PDD Cup" Third Science and Technology Backyard Competition, where evaluations shifted from conference rooms to rice fields, reflecting a fundamental change in the approach to agricultural innovation.

**Transformation in the Fields: Unlocking the Secrets of High-Yield Rice in Liangping** Launched in May, the third edition of the "PDD Cup" competition introduced innovative mechanisms like the "Five Competition Tracks" and the "Flying Academician Panel," fostering collaboration among young researchers and grounding agricultural technology in real-world applications. On November 14, the Liangping team welcomed an on-site review by the Flying Academician Panel.

"For researchers, the Science and Technology Backyard provides firsthand data. We nurture seeds into rice, collecting invaluable data throughout the process," said Wang Zhishuo, a graduate student from Southwest University and an early participant in the Liangping program. This year, his team’s green, high-yield, and high-value rice project was categorized under the "Entrepreneurship for Prosperity" track, enabling deeper research through cross-regional collaboration.

After surveying 15 townships, the team identified critical issues: fragmented rice varieties, lack of premium strains, and widespread soil degradation due to improper fertilization. To address these, they established a 200-acre experimental field in Longyin Village, testing solutions like "one-time side-deep fertilization" and custom-developed nano iron and zinc fertilizers to improve efficiency and reduce waste.

The results were transformative. Local farmers, like Jiang Liying from a cooperative, reported a 20% increase in yield and cost savings after adopting the techniques. "We used to rely on intuition, but now our 20,000-acre fields are standardized and mechanized," she said.

**Innovation in Evaluation: From Paper to Practice** The competition’s shift to immersive field assessments—where experts posed practical questions like "Name five farmers you’ve assisted"—ensured that only those with hands-on experience could succeed. Professor Zhang Fusuo, a leading agricultural scientist, emphasized the value of understanding farmers' struggles: "This empathy is the key to the Backyard’s success."

**Bridging Research and Rural Development** The competition serves as both a showcase and a learning platform. A PDD representative noted, "The Backyard is a golden link between labs and fields, nurturing versatile agricultural talent. Only when technology reaches farmers and products reach markets can rural areas thrive."

Earlier editions of the competition have spurred tangible outcomes, such as the Liangping team’s record-breaking rice yield of 798.4 kg per mu this harvest season. Meanwhile, in Hainan, students at the Dongfang Organic Recycling Backyard underwent similar field evaluations for their passion fruit projects.

Behind these achievements lies PDD’s evolving rural empowerment strategy. By integrating government, academia, and industry, PDD supports green fertilizer R&D, trains tech-savvy farmers, and aligns innovations with rural needs—building a sustainable agricultural ecosystem.

As China’s 15th Five-Year Plan emphasizes modernizing agriculture through science, green practices, and branding, initiatives like the Backyard competition are proving vital. By rooting knowledge in soil, validating innovations in fields, and unlocking rural potential, the program is paving the way for a brighter agricultural future.