From Traditional Methods to Data-Driven Farming: 500-Acre Experimental Field in Gaolan Boosts Farmer Incomes Through Science

Deep News
Jul 07

In the height of summer, the Green Zero-Carbon Technology Corridor in Gaolan County is lush and vibrant.

Within it, a 500-acre core experimental field cultivated by Lanzhou Xinrong Environmental Energy Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. is thriving.

The scene of rolling hills in the distance and orderly operating smart agricultural equipment marks a shift from traditional farming reliant on manual labor and experience, achieving automated and precise field management.

Intelligent Equipment in the Fields

Farming Management Moves Beyond Experience

During a field visit, a set of large silver-gray tank equipment standing in the core test area caught attention.

Below the tank, an integrated electric control cabinet is installed, with neatly arranged pipes and valves, forming a unique landscape in the field.

This is precisely the Xinrong Smart Cloud AI Intelligent Water-Fertilizer Integration System developed by Lanzhou Xinrong Environmental Energy Engineering Technology Co., Ltd.

The entire system operates without manual supervision.

Paired with a front-end AI intelligent fertilizer mixing system, it can collect field data in real-time and automatically complete the entire process of filtration, fertilizer mixing, delivery, and irrigation, providing precise service for the entire experimental field.

The tank is affixed with a unique QR code; scanning it leads to the "Xinrong Agricultural Service" WeChat mini-program, allowing users to view real-time field data, access fertilization and irrigation records, and receive intelligent alerts for drought or meteorological disasters, making field management more intuitive and convenient.

According to Zhang Jian, the technical lead at Lanzhou Xinrong Environmental Energy Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., the AI Intelligent Water-Fertilizer Integration System has a four-layer architecture: intelligent perception, AI decision-making, precise execution, and data closure.

Simply put, it involves deploying equipment like soil sensors, weather stations, and drone multispectral devices in the field to collect real-time data on soil, crops, and climate.

This data is then transmitted to several AI models trained by the company, such as yield and quality balance models and soil-fertilizer-climate adaptation models, which automatically calculate the optimal "digestate-microbial agent-inorganic fertilizer" formula.

The formula is directly sent to intelligent fertilizer mixing equipment and water-fertilizer integration pump stations, which automatically complete the mixing and application.

Each operation generates an electronic record fed back into the system, making the models increasingly accurate over time.

Closed-Loop Intelligent Operations

Building a Green Farming-Recycling System

The company's regional head, Ma Xiaolong, stated that relying on 20 self-operated processing centers and a grid layout across 10 counties and districts province-wide, they provide an integrated "technology + product + service" solution covering planting to harvesting for large-scale growers and cooperatives, with a service radius of 30 kilometers.

Currently, the AI Water-Fertilizer Integration System equipment has been deployed on 50,000 acres of land across 7 counties and districts, with over 50 units in operation.

Coverage areas include the Chinese medicinal herbs demonstration zone in Weiyuan County, the wheat demonstration zone in Jinchuan District, the corn demonstration zone in Liangzhou District, high-standard farmland in Gaolan County, and several protected agriculture bases.

Ma Xiaolong reported that based on calculations from serviced plots in 2025, contracted corn fields saw an average yield increase of 7% to 13%, with soil organic matter improving by 17% to 36%.

Fertilizer utilization efficiency increased by over 40%, while water usage was reduced by 30%, effectively propelling local agricultural production from traditional "experience-based farming" towards technological and standardized cultivation.

Regular Demonstration and Training

New Technology Drives Quality and Income Growth for Farmers

For a long time, traditional agricultural production in Gaolan County has faced issues such as inefficient water and fertilizer use, outdated management methods, high resource consumption, and soil degradation, hindering local agricultural quality improvement, efficiency gains, and green sustainable development.

Centered on the 500-acre core experimental field, the Green Zero-Carbon Technology Corridor integrates multiple modern agricultural technologies, establishing a comprehensive smart agriculture monitoring, operation, and management system.

Currently, the base regularly conducts on-site observations, practical training, and agricultural skills workshops, demonstrating the cost-reducing and income-boosting effects of smart planting and green fertilization to surrounding farmers and growers.

Through tangible demonstration results, farmers are guided to adopt new agricultural technologies and transform traditional planting methods, radiating influence from a focal point to drive quality and efficiency improvements in surrounding agriculture, thereby empowering rural industry revitalization.

The stable and effective results of the project are underpinned by a research and development team formed with experts from institutions including China Agricultural University, the Northwest Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences - Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Extreme Environment Microbiology, and the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

This team, with expertise covering soil science, microbiology, agricultural engineering, and carbon accounting, conducts field debugging, technical oversight, and results conversion, with researchers stationed long-term to build a comprehensive technology R&D system.

"Based on Gansu's complex topography and the realities of local agricultural development, we will leverage our 13 years of experience in full agricultural chain operations, with intelligent and AI digitalization as our core development focus, to implement a comprehensive strategic layout," Ma Xiaolong stated optimistically.

He expressed confidence that with the continued deep cultivation and promotion of the project, it will persistently assist Gaolan County in fostering a distinctive modern agricultural industry characterized by green efficiency and technological empowerment, propelling the county's high-quality agricultural development to new levels.

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