The 21st China International Agricultural Trade Fair is currently exhibiting advanced agricultural machinery, practical platform software, and vivid application scenarios mushrooming in the country, fully demonstrating the technological strength of China's modern agriculture.
As the largest and most authoritative exhibition in the agricultural sector, this year's event was started Thursday in Guangzhou City in south China's Guangdong Province, and will end on Sunday. It features over 3,000 exhibitors and more than 20,000 products, attracting more than 50,000 professional buyers. Among the standout innovations is a six-ton, three-meter-tall autonomous tractor developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
"We removed the cockpit and made it an unmanned tractor. This tractor is equipped with autonomous driving, obstacle avoidance, and automated path planning capabilities. Operators can manage it via a mobile app or tablet. For instance, it can cultivate about two hectares in an hour, meaning it could cover 20 hectares in a single day if operated for 10 hours," said Zhang Xiaobo, a researcher at the CAS Institute of Computing Technology.
The fair also showcased a diverse range of smart agricultural systems and equipment, some of which have entered international market.
"Our products and solutions are now applied in over 70 countries and regions worldwide. For example, our agricultural drones are present in Romanian cornfields, Japanese citrus farms, Brazilian soybean fields, and Australian greenhouses," said Tuo Hongyan, a public relations manager for a tech company.
The fair also hosted a modern agricultural machinery demonstration, featuring 12 companies showcasing 40 varieties of smart agricultural products in real field conditions. One of the highlights was a fully electric smart lawnmower equipped with six wheels of varying sizes and headlights resembling crab eyes. It can operate smoothly and uniformly even on uneven terrain, and it can rotate 360 degrees in place.
"The blade can be switched out for different functions, including spraying, snow removal, fertilizing, and trenching," said Xi Bin, a representative from a technology firm.
Additionally, an automated vegetable transplanter developed by a college student team was showcased, designed to enhance planting efficiency and reduce labor costs.
During the demonstration, the machine moved through the field, planting seedlings in rows spaced 45 centimeters apart. Although its pace may seem slow, its efficiency surpasses that of manual labor. It can simultaneously extract, plant, and cover seedlings, with adjustable spacing based on the type of crop.
Previously, multiple people were needed for this task, but now it can be done by just one person. Our lab team focuses on planning unmanned farms. For example, we design the machine's path to allow it to operate autonomously. Through image recognition technology using a camera, it can determine which areas have missing seedlings," said He Yuheng, a student from the College of Engineering at South China Agricultural University.
China's technological advancements highlighted at int'l agricultural trade fair
