Over 120,000 IoT base stations in Lankao! Digital agriculture makes ‘farming by the sky’ a thing of the past.
Just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, we welcomed the seventh Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival.
On September 22, entering Lankao, Henan, the atmosphere was filled with joy.
Farmers dressed in festive attire sang and celebrated, expressing their joy of harvest in the most simple way.
Behind this harvest, a new force is quietly changing agricultural production methods—digital technology.
Mr. Huang, a farmer in Lankao County, sits in a remote control cabin, controlling a tractor plowing fields over ten kilometers away through a large screen.
This scene amazed the large-scale growers present.
“I didn’t expect this 5G smart remote-controlled tractor to be so capable; I can plow the fields from my ‘office’ now.
This kind of scene was unimaginable before. So, what is the technical support behind this? How has digitization changed traditional agricultural production methods? To find the answers, I visited the high-standard farmland demonstration area in Lankao County for an on-site investigation.
From ‘farming by the sky’ to ‘farming by the numbers’
In the high-standard farmland demonstration area, smart devices are everywhere.
The ‘Four Conditions’ monitoring stations act like ‘sentinels’ in the fields, transmitting real-time data on temperature, humidity, light, and soil conditions; large pointer-type irrigation machines automatically water the fields; high-definition seedling monitoring instruments observe crop growth in real-time… These devices silently protect the safety of the farmland.
“Don’t underestimate these ‘soldiers’; they can monitor the field conditions in real-time, and once abnormalities are detected, they can intervene immediately, shifting pest control from treatment to prevention,” said Zhang Juqun, a local sweet potato grower, pointing to the monitoring equipment in the fields.
According to the head of the Rural Revitalization Digital Research Institute of China Mobile (Henan), the number of IoT base stations in Lankao County has exceeded 120,000, achieving digital coverage of the county’s high-standard farmland. Through these base stations, various agricultural data is collected and transmitted to a platform for analysis and processing.
“The 5G + high-standard farmland command and dispatch platform transmits data in real-time through the ‘Four Conditions’ monitoring stations, combined with AI large model analysis, providing farmers with precise irrigation strategies and remotely controlling drones and pivot irrigation equipment, significantly improving agricultural production efficiency,” the official stated.
This change fundamentally alters the traditional production method of farmers ‘farming by the sky.’
In the past, farmers had to rely on experience to determine when to water, fertilize, and prevent pests; now they only need to check their phones to understand the ‘needs’ of the fields.
Data ‘speaking’ is more precise than experience, transforming agricultural production from ‘farming by the sky’ to ‘farming by the numbers.’
“One field, one code” gives agricultural products an ‘electronic ID’
Entering the high-standard farmland demonstration area in Yifeng Town, Lankao County, I noticed that each piece of farmland has a unique QR code identifier. This is the ‘One Field, One Code’ system created by China Mobile, giving each piece of land a unique ‘electronic ID.’
Scanning the QR code immediately presents detailed information about the farmland: soil type, historical yield, irrigation records, pesticide usage, etc. This data is recorded using blockchain technology, ensuring its authenticity and traceability.
“In the past, consumers could only look at the appearance of agricultural products; now, by scanning the code, they can know the entire process from planting to harvesting, including whether pesticides were used, what fertilizers were applied, and when it was harvested—all clear and transparent,” a staff member from the Lankao County Agricultural and Rural Bureau told me.
This ‘ID’ not only reassures consumers but also opens the door to high-end markets for local agricultural products. According to statistics, after being certified by the traceability system, the market price of Lankao County’s agricultural products has generally increased by over 15%, leading to increased income for farmers.
How digital technology changes farmers’ lives
“To be honest, I was skeptical about these ‘new gadgets’ at first,” said Mr. Zhang, a 67-year-old farmer from Dongbatou Town, Lankao County. “But after seeing my neighbor using a smart irrigation system, managing hundreds of acres with ease, I decided to give it a try.”
Mr. Zhang, a genuine farmer who has been farming for a lifetime, was both curious and somewhat resistant to new technologies. However, after witnessing the convenience and benefits brought by digital technology, his attitude changed 180 degrees. “Now my phone is my ‘new farming tool’; farming is much easier, and yields have increased.”
Not only has the production method changed, but digital technology has also profoundly altered farmers’ lifestyles.
In Zhangzhuang Village, Dongbatou Town, Lankao County, China Mobile has created a smart health care demonstration area that uses AI products from the ‘Health Five-Piece Set + Health Care Five-Piece Set’ to remotely monitor the health status of elderly villagers over 80, allowing rural seniors to enjoy medical services similar to those in cities.
“In the past, when elderly villagers fell ill, they either had to endure it or travel far to the county hospital; now, with remote medical equipment, experts from the county hospital can treat them right in the village clinic, which is much more convenient,” said Liu Mingliang, a village doctor in Zhangzhuang.
Can the ‘Lankao experience’ of digital agriculture be replicated?
The achievements of digital agriculture development in Lankao are remarkable, but can this model be replicated and promoted nationwide? I interviewed Professor Wang Jianguo from the College of Agriculture at Henan Agricultural University.
“The core of the Lankao model lies in constructing a complete digital agriculture ecosystem, from infrastructure construction to application scenario implementation, and then to talent cultivation and service system improvement, forming a closed loop.
“Professor Wang analyzed, “However, the natural conditions, industrial structures, and development levels of different regions vary, so it cannot be simply replicated but should be adapted to local conditions.”
Professor Wang suggested that other regions could learn from Lankao’s experience but need to innovate based on their characteristics. For example, arid regions in the northwest could focus on developing smart water-saving irrigation technology, while the black soil areas in the northeast could emphasize soil protection and restoration technologies.
“Digital technology is just a tool; the ultimate goal is to serve agricultural production and farmers’ lives,” Professor Wang emphasized, stating that the development of digital agriculture must adhere to the principle of practicality, truly solving the actual problems faced by farmers.
Although the prospects for digital agriculture are broad, there are also challenges in the promotion process. Through visits and research, I found three main issues:
First, farmers’ digital literacy varies widely. Many elderly farmers are not proficient in using smartphones and the internet, making it difficult to fully utilize the conveniences brought by digital agriculture.
Second, data security and privacy protection issues are becoming increasingly prominent. With the large-scale collection and use of agricultural data, how to ensure data security and protect farmers’ privacy rights has become an urgent issue to be addressed.
Third, the initial investment costs are relatively high. The initial investment in digital agriculture equipment and systems is substantial, which can be a heavy burden for small-scale farmers, requiring support from the government and enterprises.
In response, a relevant person in charge from China Mobile Henan Company stated that they are addressing these issues through various means, including conducting digital skills training for farmers, strengthening data security protection, and launching differentiated solutions suitable for different scales of farmers.
The future is here: the development prospects of digital agriculture
In the golden autumn season, standing in the high-standard farmland of Lankao County, looking at the golden waves of wheat, I deeply feel the transformative power of digital technology in agriculture. Digitization is reshaping agricultural production methods, breathing new life into traditional agriculture.
A relevant person in charge from China Mobile Henan Company stated that they will continue to increase investment in the field of agricultural digitization, promoting the deep application of technologies such as 5G, AI, and IoT in agriculture, and assisting in the modernization of agriculture.
“Our goal is to empower agricultural production through digital technology, making it more efficient, making farmers’ lives more convenient, and creating a more livable rural environment, ultimately achieving the rural revitalization goal of ‘high-quality and efficient agriculture, livable and workable countryside, and prosperous farmers,'” the official said.
With the continuous development of digital agriculture, it is believed that in the near future, the traditional agricultural production method of ‘facing the yellow earth and turning the back to the sky’ will be completely transformed, and farmers will become ‘digital agriculture engineers’ holding smart terminals, leading agriculture into a new era of intelligence, precision, and sustainable development.
The wave of digitization is surging across the Central Plains, and let us wait and see what kind of harvest miracles this fertile land will yield.