Ji Qiumei: "Dr. Yak" on the Snowy Plateau

In the snowy plateau of Tibet, there is such a female science and technology workers, more than 30 years with yak, research yak survival, breeding, genetic diversity, etc. , in yak embryo transfer, yak genetic diversity and other fields to make innovative breakthroughs, not only to fill a gap, but also some research results even reached the international advanced level, for the development of Yak science and technology in Tibet and "three farmers" made outstanding contributions. She is Ji Qiumei, a Tibetan female scientist known as "Dr. Yak"., who was born in 1964 to a herdsman's family in Donxiong County, Lhasa, let go of cattle and drank yak milk and wore cowhide robes. "I thought yak was just a part of my life, and if I didn't think about it, it became the most important part of my research." Speaking of why the original choice of this profession, Ji Qiumei smiled and said that is fate, "because in the pastoral life, naturally know the bitterness, did not expect to finish the university finally waited until a livestock and veterinary professional admission notice." In 1988, Ji Qiumei graduated from the Tibet National University and was assigned to the Institute of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau accounts for 90% of the world's yak population, but when Ji Qiumei first joined the work, the research field of Yak production in Tibet was still a blank. In order to carry out the investigation of the current situation of yak resources and understand first-hand information, she took the initiative to request to the extremely difficult conditions of the sheep eight wells Chema township animal husbandry grassland comprehensive experimental point, as the Academy of Agricultural Sciences in the township implementation of the "grass, animal medicine integrated services project" executive. At the time, she was the only woman in the lab.
, she often cycled around the village, learned about grassland ecology and livestock production, and wrote hundreds of thousands of words of research notes. "The yak is very human, has a lot of contact, every time I go to the farmer's house, they yell at me, as if to welcome me." At this time, Ji Qiumei has been "obsessed with yak", she started from the initial genetic resources research, began a new research work on Yak in Tibet.2002, Ji Qiumei studied abroad to obtain a doctorate. In 2004, the "Tibet Yak Research and Development Center" was established, and she served as the director of the research center, which is the only yak research institution in the country, marking a new period of development in yak research.
2006, three yaks were successfully bred through embryo transfer in Donxiong County, more than 4,200 meters above sea level, marking the success of decades of research projects on yak embryo transfer in Tibet. Ji Qiumei said: "This technology is to give birth to children, cultivate excellent yak breeds." "This technology fills the gap in domestic research and reaches the international advanced level, effectively solving the degradation of yak breeds, improving the production performance of yak and shortening the production cycle of yak.
people say that "yak research is scientific research on the tip of the knife", Ji Qiumei deeply feel the same way. Over the years, she and her research team have overcome high cold, lack of oxygen and difficulties along the way to the countryside, escaped deadly attacks on sharp horns, and finally made a series of breakthroughs in key national research projects such as yak genomics, genetic breeding, breeding techniques and grazing systems.
under the tireless research and exploration of Jiqiumei yak research team, some scientific research achievements have been applied to the production practice, which has played a positive role in increasing the income and industrial development of farmers and herdsmen. According to statistics, only yak fattening one, from 2008 to 2009, Tibet selected more than 1000 yaks, farmers and herdsmen to achieve an increase in output value of more than 12 million yuan.has been engaged in scientific research on yak since he was 23 years old, Ji Qiumei is now the Party Secretary of the Institute of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine of the Academy of Agricultural and Livestock Sciences of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the chief expert on yak industry technology in Tibet.
more than 30 years of hard work, Ji Qiumei has won many honors and awards, such as "China Young Women Scientist Award", "National Outstanding Science and Technology Worker", "38 Red Flag Bearer" and "2019 Most Beautiful Science and Technology Worker". Behind these honors, it is the common people can not bear to pay.
in the plateau to engage in yak research, we must face high cold lack of oxygen, poor working environment, limited scientific research conditions and other practical difficulties. Due to long-term overload in the high cold oxygen-deprived environment to carry out field research, Ji Qiumei heart was seriously damaged, she had three heart surgery before and after.
most worried about Ji Qiumei is not their own health, but "the lack of scientific research talent." "Because the conditions are long and not easy to produce results, many tech workers don't choose this area as a research direction, and even interns don't usually come for a second time." "We have caught up with the golden period of national scientific research and development, scientific research funds have been adequately guaranteed, I hope that more talent into yak and other scientific research fields," she said. recalling the achievements of more than 30 years of yak scientific research,
said: "As a scientific and technological worker, there should be a strong and tenacious spirit of yak, in scientific research more results, for Tibet's animal husbandry science and technology and economic development, farmers and herdsmen to increase income services." ”