Drone services, accessible via a mini-program on China's popular social media platform "Weixin" (domestic version of Wechat), have changed spring field management for small-scale growers in Dangyang City, central China's Hubei Province, who can now have pesticide sprayed on their rapeseed fields with just a few clicks on their phones.
Wei Minshan, a grower at Yanhe Village of Wangdian Town, has planted 200 mu (about 13.33 hectares) of rapeseed this season. For smallholders like him, getting pesticide and fertilizer sprayed at just the right time used to be a heavy task. Now, it's fast and simple.
With just a few taps on an agricultural service mini-program developed by local governments, he said, the drone team can arrive at his village within an hour to spray his rapeseed fields.
"This mini-program works really well. If I book a service today, I can use it on the same day. It offers perfect on-demand availability," he said.
Wei recalled that during peak seasons in the past, booking a drone meant calling at least a week in advance. And it's too costly and troublesome to buy one himself.
This "drone-hailing" model solves real problems for small-scale farmers. Besides, for drone operators, it cuts down on time wasted traveling between regions, boosting both efficiency and how often their equipment is used.
"This is an order that just came in. I saw it on the platform. I checked my schedule, and since it didn't conflict with my other jobs, I grabbed it right away. I would head out this afternoon," said Zhu Zhenhua, head of a local agricultural machinery cooperative.
So far, the mini-program has connected 10 agricultural machinery cooperatives, mobilizing 156 drone pilots and 162 drones. It also provides agricultural news and information services to local farmers.
Click-to-fly drone services make farming easier, more efficient in China's Hubei Province
Flood control and disaster relief teams are stepping up efforts in Piaohe Township, Jiaohe City, in northeast China’s Jilin Province as Typhoon Bavi moves northward, bringing intense rainfall across the region.
Typhoon Bavi, the ninth of the year, made landfall twice along the coast of east China's Zhejiang Province at 23:20 Saturday and again around midnight, then moved inland. It is the second typhoon this month following Typhoon Maysak, which brought heavy floods and wreaked havoc in southern China.
Piaohe Township, located in the southeastern part of Jiaohe City, is among the hardest-hit areas. The township is particularly vulnerable due to converging water flows from the upstream Baishishan and Pihe River basins. To cope with the heavy downpour, more than 440 emergency personnel in the township have been deployed to prevent flood and evacuate residents from affected areas to safer locations.
The continuous rainfall has pushed water levels of Piaohe and Qingbei rivers flowing through the township to exceed warning thresholds, posing dangers of flash floods, landslides, and mudslides.
"We have activated 24-hour duty shifts, with inspections of rainfall conditions and potential hazards conducted every two hours. We are making effort to evacuate residents along the Piaohe River and Qingbei (river) basins to ensure their safety," said Zhang Peng, secretary of the Communist Party of China branch of Piaohe Township.
According to the Jiaohe City's Flood Control and Drought Relief Department, the cumulative rainfall in the City has reached 156.7 mm as of 15:00 on Tuesday.
Local authorities have coordinated efforts across multiple departments to promptly inspect and repair damaged roads and embankments, aiming to minimize the risk of river flooding.
Northeast China's Jilin steps up flood control as Typhoon Bavi brings heavy rain
Northeast China's Jilin steps up flood control as Typhoon Bavi brings heavy rain
