Encyclopedia on plant protection takes decade-long efforts

According to Shao, the book challenges stereotypes and offers a more comprehensive perspective. For instance, when we think of rats, we often consider them harmful. However, the Volume on Rodent Damages highlights their essential role in the ecosystem and biodiversity. Rats are not only a critical link in the food chain, they also serve as food for many predators, and their digging activities improve soil structure. Their burrows provide habitats for various organisms, and they are crucial seed dispersers and pollinators, aiding forest regeneration and community succession. Additionally, rodents have made significant contributions to human medicine as experimental animals.

Similarly, while weeds can absorb nutrients from the soil and affect crop growth, they are also part of biodiversity, and some can be quite beautiful.

Compiling this encyclopedia required tremendous effort. As Shao noted, "Compiling an encyclopedia is like being in prison, sitting until calluses form on your buttocks." It demands training, adherence to standards, crosschecking, and enduring patience. During the decade-long dedication, some editors married and had children, growing alongside the book.

Through the encyclopedia, Shao hopes to merge China's most advanced technologies and cutting-edge concepts to enhance farmers' productivity and provide global guidance. "It provides a crucial element for people worldwide to understand the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, spreading the concept of a global community of life," Shao said.