Local farmers harvest rapeseed in the fields. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]

Huazhong Agricultural University's rapeseed interdisciplinary research team has led a transformative development model in the Wuling Mountains, using a "technology-industry-policy" service chain to promote rural vitalization. By broadening the use of rapeseed for food, oil, and tourism, the team has shifted the local industry from traditional oil extraction to comprehensive value-chain development.

Since arriving in Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture in 2022, the team has introduced new varieties like the radix isatidis rapeseed. Working with local enterprises, they have successfully introduced high-value products — including dehydrated vegetables, powders, and rapeseed-based noodles — to markets nationwide. To improve the economic returns of traditional oil production, the researchers introduced high-yield, low-erucic-acid varieties while helping local businesses upgrade processing facilities and storage.

Tourism has become a vital economic pillar through the team's development of vibrant, multi-colored rapeseed varieties. These blossoms have turned the Wuling Mountains into a top destination for sightseeing agriculture.

In communities like Anlejing, Jianshi county, Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, the team provided tailored industrial designs to build a "view-experience-consumption" integrated model. This approach combines floral scenery with farm product exhibitions and family-oriented activities, transforming the landscape into a multifunctional leisure resort.

Local farmers have embraced this opportunity, selling specialty products like rapeseed oil and vegetable powders to visitors. This floral economy has turned once-abandoned plots into profitable land. By fostering a cycle where agriculture promotes tourism and tourism enriches farming, the HZAU team has provided a powerful blueprint for the ecological and economic transformation of rural China.