As the spring breeze blows through the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, plowing has once again started in the Xigaze Prefecture, a major agricultural base in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

But where the elderly wizards with their ancient traditions once stood side by side with farmers on the ridges of fields, there are now young and energetic agrotechnicians.

Gyaincain, head of Nudu Village in Gyangze County, said, "Whenever agrotechnicians come to our village, we farmers dish out the best buttered tea and barley wine we used to reserve for the wizards.

"But, our love and trust of them are more than that of the wizards," he added.

In Nudu, agrotechnician Benba has been busy for several days, testing the alkalinity and acidity of the soil and giving suggestions on which fertilizers farmers should use and how much.

Farmers will also consult him before deciding what kind of wheat to grow.

Until recently, his job was the preserve of wizards who have long been credited with magic powers to drive out devils and pray for blessings. Solemn ceremonies by wizards used to be a must on almost every important farming occasion.

Wizards decided when to plant and when to reap. If windstorms or drought struck, sorcerers and rainmakers came to the fore.

The first blow to the wizards, whose practices go back thousands of years, came in the summer of 1988 when hail damaged crops in several Tibetan villages including Nudu.

Local agrotechnicians suggested the use of artillery to disperse the hail, but forceful objections were lodged by farmers who strongly held that the God of Heaven would be offended.

When farmers pondered the cause of the hailstones, wizards claimed that it was because too many women appeared in the fields and they infuriated God.

But before wizards had the time to play their magic and appease God, shellfire had already "tamed" the adverse weather.

Later on, under the explanation of technicians, farmers finally understood the cause of hailstones and they began to trust modern technology and those who come to use it.

Signing up for technical training classes has become a trend in rural Tibet and a lot more farmers get used to the farming under the guidance of technicians.

The fear of offending of the mountain god, tree god and earth god vanished as people built aqueducts or cut into mountains to extract stones.

According to Gyaincain, the per mu (1/15 hectare) yield of local farm produce has been stabilized at around 700 and 800 jin (half a kilogram), an increase of nearly 200 jin over the past.

And there are six households in Nudu using greenhouses to raise vegetables which can bring a revenue of 3,000 yuan (US$361.45) in winter alone.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2002)