Intelligent farming may help with aging issue

As China comes to terms with its fast-aging society, agricultural companies are turning to smart farming technologies to facilitate a transition away from conventional, labor-intensive farming practices in order to feed its 1.4 billion people.

Hubei Qianjiang Binong Smart Agriculture Co is one of them, and Wang Fengming, dressed in a skirt and high heels, is among China's next-generation farmers.

She monitors large tracts of wheat fields in Qianjiang, Hubei province, via a giant screen, which displays information such as soil moisture and occurrences of pests and diseases.

The data helps the project manager at Binong spot problems and intervene in time.

Wang has been heading the food production project for a year and has successfully raised grain output to above 9 metric tons per hectare, thanks to the smart farming knowhow.

Wang is among half a dozen Binong employees who took part in a news conference earlier this month to demonstrate the company's latest products.

The event was held in a control room close to a sprawling field of wheat, which was ready for harvest.

Sitting in front of the screen, Ni Mingli, an agrotechnician on the team, clicked the mouse, and in no time, the unmanned tractor roared to life. It plowed a 2.6-hectare field in just one hour, twice the speed of a tractor driven by a human.

The machine's trajectory was almost a straight line, which is hard for a human driver to accomplish.

"Giving directions to farming machines is just part of the system's functions," said Wu Yuxin, who was involved in the system's design.

He said his team has collected data on topography, roads, waterways and the spread of crop species, which are the foundation for automating the farming process. The system also monitors crop growth and weather, among other things.

Wang Yu, another team member, explained at the event how technology can revolutionize farming.

Born and raised in the countryside, he is well aware that conventional farming is laborious.

However, drones, multispectral imaging and biological control techniques, among other technologies, have reduced manual labor, bolstered precision in applying fertilizers and pesticides, and eased pollution, Wang said.

"I believe the use of modern farming technologies can help solve problems facing existing conventional farming," he said.

The company said it has forged partnerships with China Agricultural University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to build centers and run internships for their students.

China has 120 million hectares of farmland. However, the aging population, and the exodus of young people from rural regions are posing a challenge to food production.

China had 280 million people over 60 at the end of last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

A recent research study conducted by a group of China Agricultural University scholars found that about one-third of the residents in the countryside were 60 or above, twice the level in urban regions.

More than 90 percent of younger inhabitants had left for urban jobs, with many saving up for owning an apartment in cities.