Shanxi is known as “the kingdom of small groceries”, where more than 20 types of groceries, such as grains, sorghum, wheat and oats, have been alive, with cereal cultivation and production consistently at the highest level in the country. This yellow land builds natural “gold areas” for grain growth with the unique features of the “surface mountain river”。
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A gift from the yellow land plateau, making shanxi a grain of gold. And..
Shanxi's advantage in developing the valley industry stems first and foremost from its unique natural conditions. The deep and thick soil of the yellow earth plateau is rich in organic and trace elements, particularly in the north-west, south-east and south-east of shanxi, with high temperatures and sufficient light, which contribute to the accumulation of nutrients in the valley. Second, the weather in shanxi is dry and rainy, and grains are drought-resistant and highly compatible with local natural conditions. In addition, shanxi has abundant grain seed resources that provide a solid basis for the selection of varieties。
More importantly, shanxi has gained considerable experience in the techniques of grain cultivation. For example, the membrane cover technique has significantly improved cereal production in arid areas through membrane protection, while the mechanization technique for the whole of dry grains has integrated agro-machinery with agro-based depth and has become a national extension pole。
The "three pain points" of traditional grain cultivation
Despite its long history of farming in the shanxi valley, there are three long-standing challenges to traditional cultivation, which constrain the growth of the grain industry。
High labour costs: the planting of grains, seedlings, weeding, harvesting, etc. Require a large number of manual processes, especially seedlings and weeding, and labour is intense and inefficient。
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Low mechanization: traditional agricultural machines are difficult to match due to small grain seed grains and high plant capacity. The mountainous hills are scattered and steep, making it difficult for large machines to operate。
Unstable yields and quality: traditional cultivation patterns are vulnerable to drought, pests and diseases, and lack scientific management of water fertilizers leads to high fluctuations and uneven quality of production。
Technology breakout: change from "manual" to "smart"
In the face of these challenges, the shanxi agricultural university team has been opening the way since 2010 to mechanize the whole process of grain cultivation。
Mechanical research and development: breaking the “inorganic” challenge
Traditional grain harvesting relies on artificial bending and is extremely inefficient. Based on the principles of the rice combine harvester, the original pro-yang team designed and improved key components, such as cuters and rollers, and successfully screened and improved the joint harvester suitable for the grain mechanical harvest in 2014. The mechanical harvesting, removal of particles and separation of the trachea together, with a total loss rate of less than 10 per cent, has changed the history of “artificial grain cutting”。
In addition, the team has developed a grain seeding machine to address the problem of inequality of seeding caused by traditional sowing through precision control of sowing depths and seeds. In response to the characteristics of the mountain, the team further rolled out the tracked harvester, adapted to small plots and slopes of cropland, filling a gap in the mechanization of valleys in hill areas。
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Smart upgrading: making valleys “talking”
On the basis of mechanical research and development, the team introduced intelligent technology into grain production. For example, a grain harvester on board the beidou satellite navigation system would allow for an initial unmanned operation, a turn-down first-class operation and a significant reduction in manual intervention. The team built a demonstration base of intelligent valleys at the sea-fun farmers' range in the hilly western hotspots to provide accurate decision-making for seeding and fertilization through real-time monitoring of soil moisture, meteorological data, etc. Through the internet-connected platform。
"the old valley was based on experience and now on data." the smart valley production management system integrates seeding, fertilization, irrigation, pest warning, and helps farmers move from “spreading land” to “data management”。
Technology architecture: developing a “good species + good practices + good opportunities” model
Mechanization is only the first step, as is the integration of agro-machines. The soil structure, tillage and membrane protection are improved through the joint operation technique “deep roll + rotation + penetration” leading to a full seedling. This technology system, which has been classified by the ministry of agriculture and rural development as a national driving technique, has been extended in shanxi for many years。
The shanxi university of agriculture, in the selection of varieties, has chosen high-yielding, high-quality, resistant and mechanized varieties, accompanied by a full-scale mechanization programme, which forms a three-pronged production model of “good breed + good practice + good opportunity”. For example, nine milligrams of demonstration bases were established in shanxi province, mediumland, and the acre production exceeded by more than 20 per cent compared to traditional cultivation。
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From laboratory to field, from mechanical improvement to intellectual upgrading, the transformation of the shanxi valley industry is not only a journey of seeds, but also a redefinition of the modern path of traditional chinese groceries. In the future, with the further application of 5g, artificial intelligence and other technologies, grain cultivation will move from “cropland” to “cropland”, providing a “china programme” for global food security。
