Beijing [China], January 22: Smart farming technologies are enabling the development of high-quality farmland across China, modernising agricultural infrastructure. Bulldozers and excavators are levelling rough areas to create arable land.
Large irrigation systems with underground pipes and pumps are being installed. During winter, machinery tills the soil to retain moisture and kill pests and pathogens, reducing disease risk and ensuring healthy crops the following harvest.
According to a report by CCTV, an autonomous tractor was observed ploughing the fields on a farm located in Kunshan City. The farm is equipped with more than 30 interconnected devices such as weather stations and pest monitors, which collect agricultural data and transmit it to a central command centre. Subsequently, the command centre provides instructions to various machinery, including the tractor, to carry out specific tasks. This integrated methodology empowers farmers with scientific knowledge and allows them to optimize their agricultural practices.
"It's like playing a game - the tractor automatically leaves storage, goes to the field and harvests. We've minimised human labor and made it smart. We use acquired data to make decisions and operate machinery," said Shi Yun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
An imagery vehicle undergoing tests elevates a roof camera to capture real-time farmland images. The data transfers to an onboard computer to plan scenarios like supervision and dispatch.
"The vehicle accesses difficult terrains like hills and mountains. If it reaches the farm and connects to the data platform, it obtains real-time information to store and analyse," said Geng Bojian, an engineer at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Source: Emirates News Agency