China's Zhejiang Province has issued an action plan for the development of the low-altitude economy in agricultural and rural areas, aiming to further integrate the low-altitude economy to enhance agriculture.
The space-air-ground integrated information sensing and fusion platform is one of the best examples of integrating the low-altitude economy with agriculture. Researchers at the Rural Development Academy of Zhejiang University can mobilize drones in Nanxun Village, Huzhou City, located 90 kilometers from the academy, with just a click of the mouse. By inputting a route, the drones can perform various tasks such as aerial defense and monitoring.
"We can judge the growth condition of a crop by its plant height. The differences in plant height help us identify which areas are growing well and which are not," said Nie Pengcheng, a researcher of the academy.
According to the plan, by 2027, the number of agricultural drones in Zhejiang will be more than 10,000, and 100 intelligent monitoring points for agricultural production will be built.
In Xieqiao Township, Haining City, Zhejiang Province, drones are used to spread fertilizer. A local farmer said using drones not only saves labor, but also boosts yield.
"When we applied fertilizer manually, it would be amazing to cover 40 to 50 mu (about 2.6 to 3.3 hectares) a day. Now, drones can easily spread fertilizer over 400 to 500 mu a day (about 26 to 33 hectares), saving labor. The uniformity is better, and the yield has also improved after adopting drones," said Chen Zhongyuan, a farmer.
In addition to agricultural production operations, the people's government of Zhejiang Province has proposed six key scenarios for the low-altitude agricultural economy, including monitoring, services, transportation, governance, and agricultural tourism consumption. Among these, two major sectors -- agricultural transportation and cultural tourism consumption -- have gained significant momentum in recent years. This includes express food delivery and aircraft sightseeing, which have enhanced rural life and offered innovative ideas for the integration and development of agricultural cultural tourism.
"While meeting the needs of production, we use low-altitude aircraft to carry tourists, allowing them to have different perspective and experience the unique geographical features and natural scenery of each place," said Nie.
Zhejiang unveils plan to boost low-altitude economy in agriculture, rural areas
Zhejiang unveils plan to boost low-altitude economy in agriculture, rural areas
