High tech propels bumper harvests in China's grain-producing provinces

BEIJING -- As autumn harvest approaches, Li Yucheng smiles at the sight of his thriving paddy fields, where golden ears of rice dance in the breeze and stalks stand tall against the backdrop of fertile black soil.

"We planted 800 hectares of rice this year. Despite facing challenges from low temperatures and rainy weather early on, we nurtured the crops back to health, and the yield is expected to exceed 9 tonnes per hectare," said Li, chairman of a modern agricultural machinery cooperative in Huachuan county, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

According to Li, the cooperative has implemented high-tech equipment, including agricultural Internet of Things devices, micro weather stations and pest monitoring systems. The dynamic data can be monitored right from the mobile phone, making field management more accurate and efficient, he added.

Back in 1998, when Li first started farming, he spent over 200 days a year in the fields, managing just around 5.33 hectares of rice. Now, thanks to advanced agricultural machinery such as high-horsepower tractors and plant protection drones, he works in the fields for no more than 100 days a year.

Li emphasized the importance the government has attached to grain production over the years, highlighting measures such as reducing agricultural taxes, providing grain subsidies and offering training in agricultural techniques. "I am now full of confidence in grain production," he said.

Dubbed China's grain barn, Heilongjiang has taken the lead in the country's agricultural modernization, with the overall mechanization rate for crop cultivation and harvesting reaching 99.07 percent. The province's grain output reached 77.88 billion kg in 2023, securing its position as China's top producer for the 14th consecutive year.

In the central granary province of Henan, continuous improvements in agricultural infrastructure and the application of advanced technology have also significantly increased grain yields.

In Yuanwu Township of Xinxiang City, grain farmer Shen Jifeng coordinated early with a nearby agricultural machinery cooperative to schedule the harvest of over 20 hectares of corn.

"The yield is expected to be around 9,750 kg per hectare," Shen noted, adding that with the help of machinery, the harvest will be completed in just two days.

Shen also noted that the agricultural department regularly provides vital information, including meteorological alerts, soil moisture data, pest reports and field management suggestions. This information is partially sourced from a pole on his field equipped with solar panels, high-definition cameras, atmospheric sensors and other devices.

Developed by the Central-China Agricultural Valley, an agricultural innovation platform, the pole is connected to a buried soil sensor that continuously transmits various data. The data is processed to assess weather, soil conditions and seedling health, according to Yin Yue, a platform staff member.

Henan plans to establish a total of 1 million hectares of demonstration zones for high-standard farmland by 2025, aiming to increase grain production capacity from 65 to 70 billion kg.

Technology also ensures food security in mountainous regions. In southwestern Guizhou Province, where mountainous and hilly areas account for 92.5 percent of the total land, per capita arable land is only 0.09 hectares, below the national average.

At a modern seed breeding center in Kaiyang County, digital workshops are in full operation, and automated facilities are engaged in production. The center has bred over 10 new vegetable varieties, including peppers, tomatoes, kale, broccoli and eggplant, which were developed by domestic and international research institutions and seed industry enterprises.

"Through advanced technologies such as digital control, precision planting and tidal seedling breeding, we can produce 6 to 7 million seedlings per crop cycle," said Chen Fucai, technical director of Guizhou modern seed industry company, which manages the breeding center. Remarkably, two to three workers can oversee more than 4,000 square meters of seedling area.

Since April 2023, Guizhou has launched innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives for agricultural technicians, attracting 2,874 professional teams to contribute scientifically to improving grain and oil yields. Additionally, a project to cultivate high-quality farmers is scheduled to train over 10,000 individuals in cultural, technical and management skills.

China celebrates its seventh farmers' harvest festival on Sunday. The country continues to prioritize food security, as it feeds over 1.4 billion people with only 9 percent of the world's arable land. Over the past years, various measures have been implemented to improve grain output, including building more high-standard farmland and promoting agricultural technologies.

By the end of 2023, China has developed over 66.7 million hectares of high-standard farmland, with 13 key grain-producing provincial-level regions accounting for around 70 percent of the total.