Shandong's program boosts rural development

The Dingtao district of Heze city – located in East China's Shandong province – has launched a program offering free deep tilling or deep plowing of land, in an initiative designed to help boost crop yields and increase the incomes of farmers.

Three high-powered tractors carry out land tilling operations in Dingtao district. [Photo by Yan Xiaona for chinadaily.com.cn]

The program, which covers a total of 35,000 mu (2333.33 hectares) in the district, has received positive feedback from farmers who have already benefited.

Zhangwan town farmer Li Duanfu expressed his satisfaction, saying that the deep tilling improved the soil and produced good results for his corn crop.

Deep tilling or deep plowing involves using powerful tractors to till the soil to a depth of over 25 centimeters, breaking up soil compaction, enhancing soil ventilation and promoting root growth and crop resistance to drought and disease, said Zhang Wei, an agricultural extension researcher at the Dingtao bureau of agriculture and rural development.

Additionally, the process helps eliminate weeds, pathogens and pests and improves lodging resistance in wheat.

Farmers in Dingtao district have responded enthusiastically to the initiative, as it not only reduces theircosts but also improves the quantity and quality of their crops.

The local government closely monitors the quality of deep tilling through online supervision and provides agricultural experts to guide farmers in fertilization and other necessary measures to ensure high-yield production. (Edited by Jin Yongxue)