With a population of over 1.4 billion, China faces the enormous challenge of feeding 20% of the world’s population with only 7% of its arable land. To address this, China has been investing heavily in agriculture technology to increase efficiency and productivity.
Technologies such as drones for pesticide spraying, unmanned transplanters for seeding, and IoT devices for land monitoring are being tested to improve the efficiency of food supply .
Major Chinese tech giants are exploring tech-driven solutions in agriculture. For example, an experiment with AI in strawberry farming resulted in a 196% increase in output.
A diverse array of over 2,600 verities of domestic and foreign high-quality vegetables, seeds and high-end technologies, are currently showcased at the 25th China (Shouguang) International Vegetable Sci-Tech Fair in the city of Shouguang in east China’s Shandong Province and cover an impressive area of 450,000 square meters.
A special variety known as “slimming cucumbers” was introduced, which contains several times more propanol diacid than ordinary varieties, aiding in inhibiting the conversion of sugar into fat.
Also Tomatoes, Chilies, Purple Peppers, and Eggplants are among the new varieties that have been displayed at the fair.
The fair also featured over 100 advanced technologies related to vegetable planting, including rotary farming, tidal farming, aquaponics systems, vertical farming, and space breeding.
In one exhibition hall, tomato plants are displayed growing with their roots exposed to the air, devoid of contact with water or soil. Sprayers atomize a nutrient solution, which is then directly sprayed onto the roots.
“Compared with traditional soil cultivation, aerosol planting can be more easily applied in vertical farming with automatic operations, which helps to reduce the incidence of diseases and pests while maximizing greenhouse space utilization,” said Ma Zunjuan, an exhibition hall worker at the fair.
Shouguang is also known for its winter vegetable greenhouses, which allow for year-round vegetable growth. The city has held 24 consecutive international vegetable sci-tech fairs, showcasing its agricultural advancements. Additionally, Shouguang is celebrated for its legends, history, and agricultural tourism.
More than 100 kinds of gourd vegetables are cultivated and displayed through more than 20 kinds of gallery gardening modes and more than 20 technologies. There are various gourds and fruits in different forms, such as bottle gourds, pumpkins, and hanging gourds, outlining a beautiful pastoral picture.
Biobest from Belgium also has a base in Shouguang, focusing on bumblebee Pollination technology and IPM biological control. Bumblebee pollination can stabilize the fruit set rate and quality of crops and reduce the occurrence of gray mold.
In China, the extensive application of digital technologies in agriculture is helping transform and upgrade agricultural production, injecting new momentum into the modernization of farming and the countryside.
Hence china is on the way of making everything possible.
