Technology aids grain yield in Shandong

In grain-producing county of Juancheng, Shandong province, large-scale grain grower Wang Bin in Dingyangsi village is a benchmark for local agricultural modernization.

"From traditional farming to intelligent agricultural machinery, from solo farming to full process management, agricultural modernization has made our farming easier and more profitable," Wang said, noting that the growth of wheat is promising this year, and a bountiful summer harvest is expected.

As this is a critical period for spring plowing, Wang is seizing the opportunity to comprehensively promote spring field management at Zuoying town.

As a major agricultural town, Zuoying has laid a solid foundation for a bountiful summer harvest through policy support and refined services, he said.

Deng Zhaopeng, magistrate of Juancheng, which administers two sub-districts and 15 towns, promised in January that the county plans to increase its regional GDP by some 6.5 percent and elevate the per capita disposable income of all residents by about 7 percent this year.

Wang recalled that the town of Zuoying has been helping the local growers with a three-pronged "services + policy" approach — government policy escort with full-chain services, field management with scientific classification, as well as policy guarantees and strict prevention of risks to ensure stable yield.

"For example, in policy escort with full-chain services, Zuoying has launched a 'one-stop' service system, and organized agricultural technology experts to go deep into our fields, offering targeted suggestions on pest control, water and fertilizer management," he said, adding that it also provided technical training and coordinated agricultural machinery to help in farming seasons.

In field management with scientific classification, Wang said, the town implements a "classified management" model based on the seedling and soil moisture conditions of different plots, and helped growers in adjusting fertilization plan based on soil monitoring data, with the regular monitoring of seedling conditions carried out by the town's agricultural technology teams.

In policy guarantees and strict prevention of risks, Wang said, the town has strengthened supervision on the agricultural materials market, cracked down on counterfeit and inferior products, and prepared sufficient control drugs in advance.

As a farming area, Juancheng has a cultivation land of over 65,884.35 hectares and a plantation land of more than 12,967.3 hectares. Back in 2023, its output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery reached 6.516 billion yuan ($917.7 million), an annual increase of 4.5 percent.

Please contact the writer at zhuangqiange@chinadaily.com.cn