Farming in Jinchengjiang district, Hechi, is about to get high-tech after the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was trialed to spray fertilizer on rice fields.

Officials from the district said that the UAV sprayed selenium fertilizer on a local high-yield rice cultivation base on Aug 13. The fertilizer helps prevent disease, lodging and drought, as well as inhibiting the crops from absorbing heavy metals and promoting pollination.

By spraying the fertilizer, crops such as rice and wheat are improved by between 10 and 20 percent in output growth, according to the officials.

The use of UAVs in spraying fertilizers across crop fields is 30 times more efficient than traditional methods, saving time and money, as well as being safer and more flexible in its usage.

Brochures have been given to local farmers to popularize the new tech in agriculture.

An unmanned aerial vehicle sprays selenium fertilizers across paddy fields, and is 30 times more efficient than traditional labor.[Photo/xinhuanet.com]