Tech used to increase farm yields in Gansu province

LANZHOU — Amid the biting winter chill, smart greenhouses in the city of Dingxi in Northwest China's Gansu province are being used for year-round agricultural cultivation, producing fresh fruits and vegetables.

Located in the heart of the Loess Plateau, Dingxi boasts a cool climate, ideal for agriculture. In recent years, the city has embraced smart farming and moved beyond traditional weather-dependent practices.

The city has 14 intensive smart seedling bases, along with 1,265 standardized greenhouses and steel-framed sheds equipped with internet of things devices. Integrated water and fertilizer systems, along with 5G-enabled environmental control technology, provide precise, real-time monitoring of temperature, light, water and nutrients to optimize crop growth.

Gansu has been implementing the call made at the 2025 central rural work conference for research and breakthroughs in core agricultural technologies in key fields.

At the Dingxi Potato Research Institute, smart greenhouses automate the entire process of potato seed production, including one-click fertilization, watering and real-time growth monitoring. The institute has become a standardized base for potato seed production and exports in China.

Li Jinfu, head of the institute, said it produces 60 million virus-free potato seed test-tube seedlings annually, along with nearly 120 million seed potatoes. These potatoes are sold across China and exported to countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Gansu Province State Farm Group, the province's largest modern agricultural enterprise, has also been advancing new technologies and equipment while developing smart agriculture demonstration zones.

During the spring planting and autumn harvest seasons, high-tech production is a common sight across the company's farms. Driverless tractors equipped with Beidou Navigation Satellite System plow neat lines across fields and drone fleets fly over large fields spraying fertilizers evenly on crops. With the support of these high-tech devices, agricultural efficiency has risen more than fivefold compared to traditional methods.

In Gansu's Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, a 200,000-square-meter rose "super factory" is also showcasing the power of technology. The agriculture park, which began operation in 2022, integrates advanced technologies such as digital control, soilless cultivation and post-harvest pre-cooling for fresh-cut flowers, ensuring roses bloom year-round. The annual production of fresh-cut roses exceeds 72 million stems.

It is estimated that 5.69 million stems were exported to Kazakhstan, Russia and other countries, generating over 8.37 million yuan in sales last year. The company provides 500 stable jobs, with each employee earning an average annual income of 45,000 yuan ($6,460), supporting local rural vitalization.

In the vast Hexi Corridor, a key artery of the ancient Silk Road, winter-fallow fields have taken on new value through the cultivation of innovative agricultural products.

Sun Wancang, a professor at Gansu Agricultural University, has developed a super cold-resistant winter rapeseed variety capable of withstanding temperatures as low as — 32 C.

At experimental bases in cities like Wuwei and Jiuquan, winter rapeseed is boosting grain and oil production while curbing dust storm sources, delivering both economic and ecological benefits.

The rapid development of agricultural new productivity is supported by policies and project funding. During China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), Gansu increased investment in agricultural science and technology, implementing seed industry breakthroughs and technological support projects.

A total of 129 key technologies to improve grain yield per unit area have been developed, and a special fund for agricultural machinery and equipment R&D has been set up. Backed by four years of central and provincial financial support totaling 250 million yuan, these initiatives are providing strong momentum for breakthroughs in agricultural technology.

According to Sun, the shift from traditional farming to smart agriculture is significantly empowering agricultural development through the cultivation of new agricultural productivity.

Xinhua