As spring sowing and field management accelerate across China, regions are turning to technology to boost efficiency and safeguard grain output.
From intelligent rice nurseries in southwest China's Sichuan to precision corn planting in the northeast and northwest, innovation is reshaping the fields.
In Pengshan District of Sichuan's Meishan City, rice seedling cultivation is in full swing. Local authorities this year introduced an intelligent factory‑based breeding model, using smart systems to strengthen the foundation for stable grain production.
Inside Pengshan's smart greenhouse, four large circulating seedling machines hum steadily as they drive the nursery process. Seedling trays glide up and down vertical racks, ensuring even exposure to light. An automated spray system delivers precise doses of water and fertilizer, while a smart terminal fine‑tunes temperature and humidity in real time, creating an optimal environment for every stage of growth.
"Traditional seedling raising takes up a lot of land and labor, and it is vulnerable to extreme weather. Now these four machines occupy less than 400 square meters and shorten the nursery cycle from 30 days to just 18 to 20 days," said Wang Chenglin, a local farmer.
Pengshan District is a core grain production base on the Chengdu Plain. In recent years, local efforts to centralize seedling raising with smart equipment have reduced costs and increased efficiency, stabilizing the scale of rice planting.
This year, the district's total rice planting area has reached 143,000 mu (about 9,533 hectares), a net increase of more than 2,000 mu (about 133.33 hectares) from last year. Going forward, Pengshan will continue promoting new technologies and equipment to strengthen the foundation of the "Tianfu Granary."
In northeast China's Liaoning Province, corn is a major grain crop. Tieling City, a key grain producing area and an important base for commercial grain, has started its spring corn planting early this year.
Unlike previous years, Changtu County in Tieling has adopted a combination of "deep loosening plus no till seeding plus Beidou smart navigation". This approach preserves soil fertility while improving planting efficiency.
"Before spring sowing, we completed maintenance of agricultural machinery and training for machine operators. In addition, from selecting improved varieties and formula fertilization to conservation tillage and precise density control for corn, technology is integrated throughout the entire sowing process," said Qiang Zhe, deputy director of Changtu County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.
This year, the total spring crop planting area in Tieling City is expected to exceed 8.5 million mu (about 566,667 hectares), including about 7.05 million mu (about 470,000 hectares) of corn.
The peak sowing period is expected to begin around April 20, and large scale field planting of spring crops is set to be completed by the end of May.
In the Ili River Valley region of northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, full scale corn sowing has begun on 4.7 million mu (about 313,333 hectares), creating a busy scene in the fields.
In Horgos City, sowing on 100,000 mu (about 6,666.67 hectares) of corn has also fully started. Local authorities provided early training for machine operators and deployed more than 200 large tractors for the season. Using precision seeding technology, multiple steps, sowing, film laying, and soil covering, are completed in one pass, saving labor and raising efficiency.
"Last year I planted 100 mu (about 6.67 hectares) of corn and had a good harvest. That's why I expanded to 500 mu (about 33.33 hectares) this year. The temperature and other conditions are suitable. In the later stage, we will strengthen water and fertilizer management and field management, hoping for another good harvest," said a local farmer named Zhang Tao.
So far, about 1.5 million mu (about 100,000 hectares) of corn have been sown in the Ili River Valley region, and the remaining work is expected to be largely completed by the end of this month.
Smart tech boosts rice, corn spring sowing across China
