Young researchers aid herders on plateau

"We only accepted yaks weighing between 145 and 155 kilograms, so we had to choose ideal cattle as we went door to door," Zhao said, adding that sometimes they walked into the wetland barefoot while carrying a huge scale to weigh the animals as they visited herders' homes.

The team converted a vacant 40-year-old cottage with three rooms into their dormitory and "lab". In the house, Dong Youhan, 25, weighed grass samples with her classmate.

Dong said they feed the yaks in the morning, cut grass in the afternoon and then conduct vegetation research, with the plateau constantly providing research subjects.

During their dull days of endless research, the researchers try to find ways to enjoy themselves.

"We really enjoy breathing the fresh air, strolling and lying idly on the grassland," said the second-grade postgraduate.

Long, the professor, said that doing fieldwork in areas with harsh conditions will not only help young people with their studies but also cultivate a spirit of hard work among them so they can better contribute to society.

According to Tenzin Gurmey, head of a local breeding base, the optimized foraging and breeding techniques taught by the team have lowered herding costs while maintaining meat quality, and have also promoted the high-quality and sustainable development of the animal husbandry industry.

"I hope the scientific technologies that we are working on will someday be further promoted to the plateau area in Asia and even the alpine areas around the world," Cao said.

Xinhua