Sichuan Yingshan: 401,900 Mu of High-Standard Farmland Constructed

The high-standard farmland in Jiantu Village, Luoshi Town, Yingshan County, Sichuan Province. Photo by Zou Gang.

As the saying goes, the plan for a year is in spring, and the beauty of a year lies in spring farming. At present, it is the key season for spring farming and management. Various places in Yingshan County, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, are seizing the farming season, integrating resources from all sides, improving the efficiency of grain production, promoting high-quality agricultural development, further consolidating the status as a major grain-producing county in the country, drawing a new year's agricultural "abundant" scene, and contributing to the national food security.

400,000 Mu of High-Standard Farmland Lays the Foundation for Grain "Cultivation"

Cultivated land is the lifeline of grain production, and the construction of high-standard farmland is an important means of protecting cultivated land. On March 25, the author walked into Tashui Village, Dongsheng Town, Yingshan County, and saw a vibrant scene with well-arranged farmland, interconnected ditches and canals, and complete irrigation and drainage facilities.

The high-standard farmland built and put into use in Tasi Village, Dongsheng Town, Yingshan County. Photographed by Yang Hanguo

It is understood that the construction of high-standard farmland in Tashui Village, Dongsheng Town, involves six villagers' groups and covers an area of more than 823 mu. The project includes the construction of 1.5 kilometers of industrial roads and 3 kilometers of ditches and canals. The aim is to transform the scattered "strip fields" and "low-lying fields" into large-scale, high-standard farmland with complete supporting facilities. "According to the construction agreement, this area has been renovated and delivered for use. The fields have already been filled with water and seedlings have been planted," said Zhang Lei, Deputy Town Mayor of Dongsheng Town.

"In the past, it was hard to grow anything. Now it's great. The fields have been merged into large plots, making it easier for machinery to plow and harvest. It's much more convenient and labor-saving," said Li Jiulin, a villager in Tashui Village, with a smile.

In recent years, Yingshan County has insisted on regarding the construction of high-standard farmland as a key measure to improve the quality of cultivated land, enhance the comprehensive grain production capacity, implement the "grain storage in land" strategy, and ensure national food security. The county has focused on optimizing the layout of farmland plots, following the principle of "combining small plots into large ones, making short plots longer, and straightening out curved ones" to improve the efficiency of mechanical operations. Based on the agricultural machinery operation conditions in the project area, new industrial and farm roads have been built. The county has also improved the field irrigation system, equipped with water storage facilities, and promoted water-saving irrigation technologies to boost agricultural production and increase farmers' income, promoting grain production towards industrialization.

"With the advancement of high-standard farmland construction, more and more 'grain fields' have turned into 'granaries'," said Liu Zhong, director of the Yingshan County Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The construction of high-standard farmland has solved the previous problems of "fragmented" and "scattered" land cultivation, making it more convenient for people to farm and increasing the land transfer rate. It can effectively promote the mechanized, scaled, and standardized production of agriculture. By the end of 2024, Yingshan County had completed the construction of 401,900 mu of high-standard farmland, with a cumulative total of 133,600 mu of water-saving irrigation. In 2025, Yingshan County plans to advance the construction task of 80,000 mu of high-standard farmland, including the construction of 40,000 mu and the renovation and upgrading of 40,000 mu.

Technology + Agronomy Makes Farming Easier

On March 27, in a farmhouse courtyard in Dingcun Village, Xiaoqiao Town, Yingshan County, several elderly men and women were skillfully repeating each process on the rice automated seedling production line under the direction of the owner, He Shaoji. Placing seedling trays, adding substrate soil, pouring in seeds... One by one, the seedling trays were transferred through the conveyor belt into the dark germination stage.

"Three days later, the germinated seedling trays will be transferred to the seedling fields for cultivation. The seedlings that are grown after 25 days can be used for machine planting. Compared with the traditional seedling raising methods, this process saves time and labor," said He Shaoji.

He Shaoji is the owner of the Jixiang Grain Crop Planting Family Farm in Yingshan County. He began large-scale planting of grain and oil crops in 2014. After years of experience, he has purchased more than 30 sets of large-scale rotary tillers, rice transplanters, harvesters, agricultural drones, grain dryers, and other equipment, achieving full mechanization of grain and oil crops from planting to harvesting, and becoming one of the major grain growers in Yingshan County. The farm's grain and oil planting areas cover two towns and seven villages, with an annual self-cultivation area of more than 2,000 mu and nearly 6,000 mu of contracted farming. "The key is the introduction of advanced agricultural machinery and good seeds and methods, which save farming costs and improve labor efficiency," He Shaoji said when talking about his expansion.

Villagers in Jiantong Village, Luoshi Town, Yingshan County are tending to rice seedlings. Photo by Zou Gang

On the same day, in Jiantu Village, Luoshi Town, Yingshan County, the author saw several rotary tillers shuttling through the fields, and two puddling machines moving back and forth in the rice fields, making rhythmic working sounds. Leveling the seedbed, placing seedling trays, puddling, broadcasting, covering with film, after these few steps, the seedlings were well cultivated.

"In the past, a lot of labor was needed for the complicated processes of sowing and covering the soil. This year, we have added two rotary tillers, one T90 drone, and two puddling machines. Now, with the coordinated operation of these machines, these tasks can be completed smoothly," said He Xiaoming, the person in charge of Yingshan Ruihe Grain and Oil Professional Cooperative, who skillfully drove the "iron ox" to plow the paddy fields, looking very relaxed.

"This year, we have selected the 'Pinxiangyouyizhen' rice seeds, planning to plant 4,000 jin of seeds, which can cover 1,300 mu of land," said He Xiaoming. This year, the farm adopts the rice-oil rotation planting model, with full mechanization (machine sowing, machine planting, machine management, machine harvesting) for demonstration planting.

It is understood that "Pinxiangyouyizhen" is a new hybrid rice variety jointly developed by the Rice and Sorghum Research Institute of the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Sichuan Fengda Seed Co., Ltd. It has the characteristics of long panicles, large grains, strong disease resistance, and being "both delicious and high-yielding."

"We always adhere to the idea of 'technology + agronomy' to help farmers increase their income, vigorously promote and popularize modern technological planting and management techniques, and continuously improve the mechanization and intelligence levels of agricultural production," said Zuo Xiaoping, a staff member of the Yingshan County Agronomy Station. In order to ensure that good seeds, methods, and technologies for spring farming are effectively implemented at the grassroots level, the station actively carries out spring farming mechanized production services, guides agricultural machinery cooperatives to do a good job in the maintenance of agricultural machinery, and provides "one-stop" and "package" technical solutions for farmers to ensure that agricultural machinery is "available and usable" at critical moments of spring farming and sowing.

According to statistics, Yingshan County is expected to plant more than 193,000 mu of wheat and 287,000 mu of rapeseed this year, with an estimated 390,000 mu of rice planting. With the integrated development of good seeds, methods, machinery, and farmland, the overall growth of small spring crops has significantly improved compared to previous years. The vision of a large-scale harvest is expected to be realized, and the work of significantly increasing yield is steadily advancing, striving to submit a satisfactory answer sheet for creating a new era, higher-level "Tianfu Granary" hilly area model.

Good Field Management Lays the Foundation for the "Tianfu Granary"

At present, it is the key period for wheat heading and pest and disease control. On March 24, in the core area of the Yingshan County Grain and Oil Modern Agriculture Park in Chaoyang Village, Dongsheng Town, the green wheat seedlings covered the fields, full of vitality. Two agricultural drones were flying back and forth above the wheat fields, evenly spraying the atomized foliar fertilizer on the wheat seedlings. "The park has planted 1,217 mu of wheat, which is growing well and is expected to be a bumper harvest," said the person in charge of the Yingshan area of Sinochem Modern Agriculture Sichuan Co., Ltd.

In the core area of the Yongan County Grain and Oil Modern Agriculture Park, drones are spraying foliar fertilizer. Photo by Zou Gang

Recently, in the rapeseed fields of Baiyan Village, Xiaoqiao Town, Deng Wuming, a researcher at the Rapeseed Institute of Nanchong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, squatted slightly with his knees bent and examined the rapeseed leaves. Not far away, two drones were spraying pesticides. The figures of agricultural experts giving on-site guidance and the drones working in the air together outlined a modern agricultural spring management scene.

"We need to use fluazainam to prevent sclerotinia stem rot before the full bloom period," said Deng Wuming. "The ridge on the sunny slope has insufficient moisture. It is recommended to apply some amino acid foliar fertilizer," he added. Deng Wuming carefully "diagnosed" the crops and, based on different plots, crops, and growth conditions, issued "technological prescriptions" to guide growers to fertilize scientifically, use pesticides reasonably, and strengthen field management to ensure a stable and bountiful rapeseed harvest.

In recent days, the county's Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has organized agricultural experts and technicians to go deep into the fields of 28 townships (agricultural streets) to conduct "agronomy classes," helping farmers to solve technical problems in wheat field management in a timely manner. The county's Agronomy Station and Plant Protection Station actively allocated drones, coordinated drone teams, and dispatched 20 DJI T40 drones to cover four thousand-mu demonstration areas in the county. They also guided the owners of the thousand-mu demonstration areas to take the lead in carrying out the "one promotion and four prevention" work for rapeseed and to prepare pesticides and fertilizers in an orderly manner for the "one spray and three prevention" work for wheat.

"Spring crop field management is crucial for grain harvest," said Ao Yu, director of the Yingshan County Agronomy Station. At present, the county's spring wheat field management work is being carried out in an orderly manner, with more than 200 county and township agricultural technicians providing guidance services for wheat and rapeseed field management. So far, the county has covered more than 250,000 mu of small spring grain and oil crops for pest and disease prevention, with more than 1,200 drone sorties. Next, the county will continue to organize agricultural technicians to go deep into the fields to "diagnose" and lay the foundation for a bountiful grain harvest. (By Yang Hanguo and Zou Gang)