Situated at the crossroads of Henan, Shandong and Hebei Provinces, farmers of Nanle County, Puyang City, Henan Province, led comparatively poor lives in the past. How to effectively increase income while fostering agricultural development posed a hard nut to crack for the locals.

The automatic irrigation system at a carrot planting base in Gusilang Village, Yuancun Town, Nanle County, central China's Henan Province. [Photo courtesy of the People's Government of Nanle County, Henan Province]

However, Nanle has successfully tackled this challenge as the local government vigorously promotes the establishment of a crucial biodegradable material production base nationwide. Concurrently, they have undertaken comprehensive initiatives to propel high-quality development in agriculture and rural areas, yielding significant results.

Science and technology for agricultural modernization

Presently, a stroll through Nanle's wheat fields reveals semi-fixed sprinkler heads in operation. Locals revealed the existence of an agricultural and rural big data center in Nanle County, equipped with a soil monitoring system that meticulously records changes in soil moisture and temperature in wheat fields. This data guides decisions on watering, fertilization, and pest control for wheat crops.

"A total of 500 intelligent monitoring probes have been installed across 133 hectares of farmland in Nanle County," shared a technician from the big data center.

This technician highlighted Nanle County's pioneering role in establishing a "Big Agriculture" data center, constructing an interconnected and shared "Internet + Agriculture" information service system. These efforts enhance the government's capacity for guiding agricultural production informatization and other related aspects.