Cotton sowing is underway across some 113,000 hectares of farmland in Wusu City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where smart machinery equipped with homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is widely applied to boost efficiency and precision.
Tractors fitted with the BeiDou system are moving steadily along preset routes in the cotton fields, laying drip irrigation belts, spreading plastic film and sowing seeds in one go.
The standardized operations keep margin of error in sowing within two centimeters, while further cutting cost and raising efficiency.
"I've contracted more than 1,700 mu (some 113.4 hectares) of cotton this year. The BeiDou-guided sowing machine helps save land while ensuring straight rows," said Li Quanlai, a cotton farmer.
Local agriculture authorities said the city plans to expand the use of modern equipment such as large seeders and drones, pushing for full mechanization in cotton cultivation and harvesting.
BeiDou-fitted machinery boosts cotton sowing efficiency in Xinjiang
Severe weather, including hail, strong winds and heavy rain, has struck multiple areas in east China's Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, damaging homes, crops and power lines.
Parts of Yichun, Fuzhou and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi have been hit by hailstorms since Thursday as a result of the latest round of severe convective weather, with hailstones reaching up to 5 cm in diameter.
In addition to hail, strong winds and torrential rains have also disrupted residents' daily lives.
In Fangxi Town of Yifeng County in Yichun, strong gales tore off suspended ceilings in some homes, knocked down wall panels and overturned furniture. Immediately after the disaster, local authorities launched emergency response and rescue operations.
In the urban area of Wanzai County, some road sections were flooded, disrupting traffic. Local departments quickly carried out sludge removal and drainage work to ensure safe transportation.
The meteorological department in Jiangxi forecasts two additional rounds of rainfall between Sunday through April 13, and again from April 15 to 16.
With frequent rainfalls expected in April, authorities are urging continued vigilance against the impact of severe convective weather and secondary disasters triggered by heavy rain.
At around 18:00 on Friday, Guangze County in Nanping City, Fujian Province, was hit by a sudden bout of severe convective weather including strong winds, heavy rain, and hail.
The weather damaged some residential houses and crops, and knocked out several power distribution lines, disrupting electricity supply to residents.
In Shaguan Village of Zhima Town, heavy hail accompanied by fierce winds and torrential rain fell, with hailstones measuring up to 4 cm in diameter.
According to local meteorological statistics, from 18:00 to midnight Friday, six-hour cumulative rainfall reached 117.3 mm, classified as extremely heavy rain.
The severe weather caused significant losses to local crops, particularly tea leaves and fruit saplings in their growing stages. Newly planted taro seedlings were damaged while mushroom greenhouses were toppled by strong winds. Following the disaster, relevant departments immediately carried out cleanup and recovery efforts.
In addition, strong winds downed several power lines. Emergency repair crews worked overnight, and all damaged lines have been fully restored, with normal electricity supply resumed.
Rainstorm, hailstorm lash Jiangxi, Fujian, triggering emergency responses
