Tech gives Guizhou's farm food an edge

GUIYANG — "Soil temperature too high in Greenhouse No 1," "Soil pH value abnormal in Greenhouse No 5" — these were some of the warnings flashing across the screen of a management platform at a smart farm in Zunyi city, Guizhou province.

"The big data system issues the warnings after analyzing the humidity, temperatures and other soil-related data in the greenhouses," said Xu Wei, head of the farm. "We respond by taking immediate measures to avoid having to use pesticides afterward."

Free of pesticides, Xu's strawberries sell for a staggering 1,200 yuan ($173) per kilogram.

Xu worked for an internet company for 10 years before switching to smart farming. Two years ago, he and his team developed a big data system that records and analyzes humidity, temperature, light and pests in greenhouses using sensors.

Thanks to the system, he can monitor what is going on in the greenhouses on a screen in his office before taking preventive measures.

March is the month for plowing. In many parts of Guizhou, big data technology is increasingly being applied to agriculture as local authorities have made efforts in recent years to promote the integration of the two fields.

As the country's first national big data comprehensive pilot zone, Guizhou has promoted the big data industry as a mainstay of socioeconomic development.

This year, the province will invest 20 billion yuan in big data-related projects, and the digital economy is expected to account for around 40 percent of its GDP.

The use of big data technology has gradually changed traditional agriculture in Guizhou, which previously relied on a farmer's experience and the weather, and the change is giving its produce a competitive edge in the market.

In Kaiyang county, a large vegetable cultivation center using the latest big data and smart technologies went into operation last March. It consists of three greenhouses and a workshop, and covers an area of about 25,000 square meters.

A year on, it has grown 21 million seedlings, generating an output value of about 15 million yuan.

In one greenhouse, workers need only put the tray of seedlings on the seedbed, after which the intelligent cultivation system automatically moves it to the correct position based on preset data. The system greatly improves the efficiency of growing seedlings and reduces labor costs.

An automatic control system also adjusts the fan, wet curtain and sunshade net according to the real-time temperature and humidity in the greenhouse, according to Li Shili, an executive of the company that runs the center.

"This has enabled us to cut the period of cultivation by five to 15 days compared to traditional methods," Li said.

Xinhua