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URUMQI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Despite the scorching summer heat, rows of apple trees thrive along the southern edge of China's largest desert, the Taklimakan, heavy with fruit and fragrant with sweetness.

This flourishing orchard in Yuquan Town, Kunyu City in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has experienced a green transformation from barren sand. It echoes the success of the Taklimakan's sand-blocking forest belts -- both stand as proof of effective desert greening.

Back in 2020, local authorities launched a project to fight desertification and boost incomes by turning arid land into productive orchards. Collaborating with forestry experts, they introduced high-density dwarf rootstock apple cultivation -- a technique that grafts apple scions onto specialized dwarfing rootstocks, allowing early fruiting and efficient land use.

To address the region's limited rainfall and strong winds, people installed drip irrigation systems and grafting support stakes to stabilize the grafted trees.

With a total investment of 166 million yuan (about 23.22 million U.S. dollars), the project has transformed 7,248 mu (about 483.2 hectares) of desert into apple orchards and another 650 mu for sapling cultivation over the past five years.

The orchard project benefits from China's "pairing assistance" program in Xinjiang, which has been implemented since 1997. The program involves central and state organs, centrally administered state-owned enterprises, and 18 provinces, municipalities and the city of Shenzhen.

This cross-regional endeavor, which sees those involved channeling 80 percent of their annual assistance funds to county-level and grassroots projects dedicated to livelihood improvement, has become a national strategy vital for prosperity and stability in economic backwaters.

Aytulanhan Ghujabil, a 32-year-old farmer, walks through the orchard and inspects her apples. Beneath her feet, black drip irrigation tubes deliver water and nutrients directly to the roots, while an automated system adjusts fertilizer ratios based on soil moisture.

"Dwarf rootstock allows denser planting -- about 145 more trees per mu than traditional orchards," said Fang Weiqiang, an official with Yuquan. "The trees are just two to three meters tall, enabling mechanized farming and saving labor costs by 60 percent. They bear fruit in two years and reach full yield in four years, much faster than conventional orchards."

Initially, many farmers were reluctant to adopt the technique because they thought bigger trees meant more fruit, Ayturhan recalled. Despite some doubt, she diligently learned pruning methods to optimize growth. Last year, her 11-mu orchard yielded a harvest that netted her 55,000 yuan.

She used the earning to buy a car for the family. "Traveling long distances used to be such a hassle, but now it's just a quick drive away. Our quality of life has really improved."

Mechanized orchard management -- from planting to fertilizing and weeding -- has substantially reduced her physical labor requirements. Trickle irrigation slashes water use by 300 cubic meters per acre annually. Ayturhan, who's now a skilled technician at a local agribusiness, said she earns an extra 3,000 yuan a month by teaching other farmers and managing other farmers' orchards.

Her success mirrors broader gains, as over 720 households benefit from this modern orchard project.

Farmer Mo Jinbo expanded his orchard from about 20 mu to 30 mu this year while managing 70 mu more. "Healthy trees mean faster harvests," he said, wiping sweat as he prunes branches. "I never worry about sales because buyers usually swarm the fields at harvest time. That's why I'm planting more."

To secure long-term growth, local authorities have partnered with fruit processors, farmers and logistics firms. A recently constructed cold-chain hub ensures that apples reach Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, within a day, resulting in more favorable pricing. Beyond that, a processing workshop for dried and preserved fruits will further add value.

"We plan to enhance cooperation with fruit processing enterprises, introduce eco-tourism, and create a modern and sustainable path to prosperity, turning red apples into 'golden apples,'" Fang added.