August2,2018:AdronehoversoverapaddyfieldinHeilongjiangProvince.Farmingintheprovincehasbeentransformingbecauseofmechanizationandelectrification.VCGBeidahuang(literally,“GreatNorthernWilderness”)isavastregionofmostlyfarmlandinChina’snortheasternHeilongjiangProvince.Backinthe1950s,tensofthousandsofretiredsoldiers,educatedyouthsandrevolutionariesworkedhardtheretointroduceagriculturetothewildland.Today,BeidahuanghasbecomeChina’smostmodernandproductivegrainproductionbase.Butlikeotherruralareasinthecountry,Beidahuangfacesashortageoflabor.
Inrecentyears,however,anewprofessioninvolvingdrone-drivencropprotectionhasemerged,whichhasgreatlyrelievedthesituationandcultivatedanewgenerationofChinesefarmers.
Drone-aidedHarvest
ThankstoChina’sreformandopeningup,thecountryurbanizedfast,whichresultedinalossofdemographicdividendsinruralareas.Standardwagestohirefarmhelphavemorethandoubledinrecentyears.Evenso,ruralareasstilllackenoughhandsduringharvestseason.Threeyearsago,cropprotectiondronescarryingautomaticsprayingmachinesbegantoflyoverthefieldsofBeidahuang.
ZhaoLiqingwasbornintoafarmer’sfamilyinBaoqingCounty,HeilongjiangProvince.Whenhewasyoung,hewashiredbyacompanyintown.Later,aseriesofpreferentialpoliciesissuedbytheChinesegovernmentinspiredhimtoleavehisjobtobecomeaprofessionalfarmer.Currently,hemanages400mu(26.67hectares)ofricefields.
Justtwoyearsago,sprayingpesticidesrequiredconsiderablemanpower.Toserveallofhisricefields,Zhaohadtohiresevenoreightagriculturalworkersforaboutaweek.Andhehadtopay100yuanforeachemployeeperday.Moreover,itwashardtorecruitpeopletodothejob.Iftheoptimaldatewasmissed,hisyieldandharvestqualitywouldbetremendouslyimpacted.Fortunately,cropprotectiondronescannowhelphimout.“Icalledacompanyandplacedanorder,”saysZhao.“Andthentwodronesdidallthework.Thewholeprocesstookjusthalfaday.Andeachmu(0.07hectares)costedjustsixyuan.Icouldneverhaveimaginedthis.”
“Sowingseedsandharvestingricehavealsobeenmechanized,”Zhaoadds.“Withoutsuchmachines,Icouldneverfarmsuchalargearea.”Agriculturaltechnologieshelphimearnanetincomeof800,000yuanperyear.
CoolAgriculture
Underthescorchingsun,26-year-oldZhangBosatleisurelyonaridgewitharemotecontrol,settingflightparameters.Afterawhile,adroneroseupoverthefieldtospraypesticidesalongadefaultroute.
Zhangdoesthiseverydayasaprofessionaldroneoperator.Before2017whenhelivedinTianjinCity,hebecameaWeibo(China’sversionofTwitter)celebritybylivestreamingcontentaboutvideogames.HisfamilywassellingagriculturalmachineryandfarmimplementsinSuibinCounty,HeilongjiangProvince.In2017,hisfatherstartedexploringtheideaofpurchasingadronetouseforfarming,soZhangagreedtoreturnhometolearncropprotectiontechnologyusingdrones.Theoperationofcropprotectiondronesisnotcomplicated,soitcameeasyforthevideogameplayer.
“Actually,myformerjobearnedmoremoneyandwasmorecomfortablethanfarming,”admitsZhang.“Butthisismorefun.”Afterrealizinghoweasytheformerlytoilsometaskofplantinghasbecome,hebelievesthatnewtechnologyisgoingtochangethegamefurtherandthatagriculturewillsoonbecomeapromisingand“cool”industry.
NotfarfromZhanginTongjiangCounty,LiDanisanotherdroneoperator.SheusedtomanageahotelinHarbin,capitalofHeilongjiangProvince.Peopleinherfamilyintroducedhertothenewoccupation.Shealsobelievestherealmhasabrightfuture,soshelearnedthetechnologyandboughtsomeequipment.Duringpeakseason,Liworksfrom3a.m.to9p.m.,sprayingpesticidesfor700mu(46.67hectares)offarmlandeverydayonaverage.Despiteexhaustingandintenseworkingconditions,thejobisfulfillingaswellaseconomicallyrewarding.Herfamilynowmanages300mu(20hectares)offarmland,andLiintendstoleasemorefieldsnextyear.
“Iplantogobacktoschooltolearnmoreagriculturaltechnologies,”Liadds.“Iwanttobea‘new’farmerdifferentfrommyfather’sgeneration.”
June11,2018:AdroneoperatorchangesbatteryandpesticidetankinHamiCityofChina’sXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion.Duringharvestpeaktime,droneoperatorsfromHeilongjiangProvinceareoftenhiredtoworkinotherprovincesandregions.VCG
July23,2018:AdroneoperatorworksinapaddyfieldinShuangyashanCity,HeilongjiangProvince.VCGKeytoIntelligentAgriculture
AsayinginBeidahuanggoes:“Thoseborninthe1970sdon’twanttofarm,thosefromthe1980scannotfarmandthoseofthe1990sarereluctanttoeventalkaboutfarming.”SimilarphenomenahaveoccurredinChina’sotherruralareas.Mostfarmersdonotwanttheirchildrentobefarmers.Ifcurrenttrendscontinue,thecountrywillhaveinsufficientfarminglaborin10years.Buttheapplicationofdronetechnologycouldpossiblyprovideasolutiontotheissue.
Growingupinaneraofinformationtechnology,peoplebornafterthe1980shaveanaturalinclinationtomoretightlyembracemoderntechnologylikedrones.Additionally,withstrongsensitivityaboutintelligentagricultureandbigdata,someyoungdroneoperatorsaresettingupcomprehensiveserviceplatformsforfarmersfeaturingcutting-edgetechnologies,whichearnthemimpressiveincomeswhileremainingattractivetoyoungpeopleinparticular.
Bornin1993,WangFengreturnedtohishometowninHeilongjiangProvinceaftergraduatingfromcollegetotakeoverhisfather’sbusinessofsellingagriculturalsupplies.Duetohispassionfordrones,Wangsetupaflightteamtoprovidecropprotectionservices.Basedonbigdata,histeamprovidesone-packageserviceincludingplowing,seeding,managing,harvestingandstoring.Mostofhis40employeeshailfromlocalvillagesandareintheirtwentiesorthirties.
“Thepesticidesweuseareeco-friendlyandpollution-free,”declaresWang.“Dronescanspraypesticideswithprecision,whichpreventspesticideoveruseandcutsusageinhalfwhilesavingover90percentofwater.Thiscangreatlycutthecostofagriculturalproduction.Wehopewecanprovidebetterservicetoourfellowfarmers,relievetheirburdenandbetterprotecttheblacksoilwithadvancedtechnology.”
In2016,morethan6,000droneswereusedforcropprotectioninChinaandby2017,thenumberexceeded10,000.Thesameyear,theMinistryofAgriculture,theMinistryofFinanceandtheCivilAviationAdministrationofChinajointlydeclaredthattheywouldprovidesubsidiesforcropprotectiondroneoperationinsixpilotprovincesandmunicipalities.Itisexpectedthatinthenearfuture,theusageofdronesincropprotectionwillgrowrapidly.Andwhat’smoreimportantisthattheapplicationofdronesmayattractmoreyoungpeopletofurtherexploreintelligentagriculture.