The "tech vibe" in the fields

Drones patrol fields, intelligent seedling cultivation, automated irrigation… These once-unimaginable technologies are now part of daily life in the fields.

Technology has transformed farming from solely relying on physical labor to a profession based on knowledge and skills, injecting new vitality and hope into each family farm.

During spring planting season, at Huaihe Green Oasis Family Farm in Jiahé Town, Panji District, Huainan City, busy activity is underway inside the seedling nursery, with intelligent seedling equipment operating in order.

Farm manager Su Yong stands on the ground, watching the automated irrigation system evenly watering the seedlings, feeling especially reassured.

Who would have thought that just a few years ago, Su Yong was a small farmer with only 300 acres of land.

At that time, he had to get up at 4 a.m. to work in the fields, bending over to check each seedling’s condition. When the noon sun was scorching, he still had to rush to water the crops, exhausted by the end of the day. Farming back then was a fight for survival against nature.

2022 was a turning point for Su Yong. That year, he heard about government policies supporting family farms and decided to give it a try, expanding his planting area from 300 acres to 1,200 acres.

The scale quadrupled, but what truly changed him was not just the land size, but a complete transformation in farming methods.

The key support for this transformation came from the Yuan Zhuang Branch of Postal Savings Bank, which stepped in promptly.

That year, the branch actively provided financial services, opening a path of financial support. During this spring planting season, they tailored a comprehensive financing plan for him, accurately providing a loan of 1 million yuan, including a 500,000 yuan re-employment guarantee loan. This not only injected vital funds into his new farming methods but also reduced financing costs through interest subsidy policies.

With strong financial backing, Su Yong’s farm gained many new “partners” before this spring’s planting. The most proud of these is the intelligent seedling control system. Previously, seedling cultivation relied on experience; if the temperature was too high or too low, or water was insufficient, it all depended on weather conditions. A careless mistake could cause root rot.

Now, sensors monitor temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse in real time, with data transmitted directly to his phone. Ventilation and watering are automatic—if needed, the system takes care of it.

“Now I can just lie in bed and know what’s happening in the greenhouse,” Su Yong says with a smile.

His “lying in bed farming” is no joke. Drones now spray pesticides, allowing him to say goodbye to carrying pesticide buckets and walking through the fields. Rotary tillers turn the soil much faster than oxen pulling plows.

What impresses him most is pest and disease control. In the past, he had to find affected areas by eye, often too late. Now, with drone patrols and high-definition cameras, any abnormal spots are immediately marked, enabling precise pesticide application—saving chemicals and effort.

Some say he’s “troublesome,” but Su Yong disagrees: “In the past, farming meant facing the earth with your back, exchanging strength for a meal. Now, it’s about brains and technology. The same land, different methods, can yield twice the harvest.”

Today, Su Yong’s 1,200 acres have become a benchmark for grain production in Panji District. In the newly built drying house, golden corn slowly turns, no longer relying on sun-drying and unaffected by rain.

Inside the intelligent seedling nursery, a new batch of seedlings is lush and vigorous, promising a good harvest.