Entering the third season, see how “Super Cotton Field” upgrades intelligently
Lines of straight white film extend into the distance, and rows of wheat seedlings protecting cotton seedlings are full of green. The seeder is driving in a straight line to sow seeds according to the route set by the Beidou navigation system…
On April 15, Guangzhou XAG Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “XAG Technology”) in Daxi Village, Yuli County, entered the final stage of sowing in the third season of its 3,000-acre “super cotton field.”
The “Super Cotton Field” project is China’s first unmanned cotton farm project launched by XAG in Yuli County in 2021. It aims to verify the feasibility of the smart agricultural management model in large-scale planting scenarios. After two consecutive seasons of exploratory experiments, the average cotton output per mu of the “Super Cotton Field” has increased year after year, while inputs have been significantly reduced, with significant cost savings and efficiency gains. Entering the third quarter, a smart agricultural management model that can be replicated and promoted is about to emerge.
In the first season, two young men challenged 3,000 acres of cotton fields
On April 22, 2021, XAG held a “Super Cotton Field” press conference in Yuli County, Xinjiang, announcing that it would launch the country’s first unmanned cotton farm project on the same day: two young men born in the 1990s used technological means to challenge planting Manage 3,000 acres of cotton fields.
What problems will the two young people encounter during the challenge? Can they succeed in the challenge? Become the center of attention in the first season.
As soon as the news was released, there was an outcry. The old cotton farmer grinned: “From cultivation to field management and autumn harvest, 3,000 acres of cotton require at least 20 workers to manage it for a long time. During busy seasons, seasonal workers are also required. Such a huge workload requires only two people who have never farmed. You idiot? This guy is bragging!”
Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. Faced with doubts, super cotton field administrators Ai Haipeng and Ling Lei did not back down.
In the super cotton field, XAG agricultural IoT equipment stands guard around the clock, monitoring and collecting images, meteorological and soil data of the cotton field in real time, recording the entire growth period of cotton; cotton sowing, a seeder equipped with an agricultural machinery autopilot can be used with one click Once started, precise and efficient automated operations can be achieved; there are agricultural drones for weeding, intelligent irrigation systems for watering and fertilizing cotton, and all-in-one cotton picking and packaging machines for cotton harvesting…
A series of “black technologies” that run through the entire process of cotton planting, management, and harvesting mean that the two young people do not need to go to the fields in person. They can quickly understand the situation of the cotton fields through their mobile phones or computers, make scientific decisions, and manage easily.
However, the reality still caused the two young people to suffer a lot.
Since there is no protective forest in the cotton field, the cotton seedlings suffered severe wind damage before they were even unearthed after sowing. The plastic film was blown all over the sky, and the cotton seedlings lost their protection and the emergence rate dropped. The two young men had to reseeding, reseeding, and re-laying mulch and drip irrigation tape.
During the resowing process of cotton seeds, in order to resist the wind disaster, Ai Haipeng and his partners tried four sowing techniques, including simultaneous sowing of cotton and wheat, and separate sowing of cotton and wheat. The experiment proved that the “separated sowing of cotton and wheat” model was effective in resisting the wind disaster. The stronger ability also enabled the cotton seedlings to avoid the disaster of two subsequent strong winds.
That year, the super cotton fields were affected by multiple wind disasters during the cotton emergence period, causing irreversible losses in some cotton fields. The average cotton yield per mu was 254 kilograms.
“Although the first season challenge did not achieve the expected goals, it developed a set of valuable experiences for smart agriculture and initially verified the feasibility of the smart agricultural management model in large-scale planting scenarios.” Ai Haipeng said.
Five scientific and technological achievements in the second quarter helped the average yield per mu exceed 400 kilograms
Having learned the lessons from the typhoon disaster in the first season, in the second season of the Super Cotton Field in 2022, XAG Technology has optimized relevant agricultural technologies and intelligent equipment, systems, etc. Upgraded, five scientific and technological achievements have further improved the smart agricultural management model of super cotton fields.
——Using the “cotton and wheat separate sowing” technology, the harvestable area of the super cotton field reached 100% in the second season, compared with only more than 50% in the first season, achieving stable production in the second season.
——Based on the disease and pest early warning technology of full-scale aerial control, the disease and pest control rate of the super cotton field in the second season reached 95%.
——Using prescription maps to control weeds and weeding, changing from the past “unified control” to “point prevention and treatment”, significantly reducing the amount of pesticides and lower costs, weed control in the second season super cotton field The rate reaches 98%.
——Based on the efficient control technology of remote sensing drones, all plant height monitoring work in the 3,000 acres of super cotton fields can be completed in one day. Efficient monitoring increases the frequency of cotton growth control and enables more refined cotton growth. manage.
——Intelligent water and fertilizer integration technology realizes scientific reduction and application reduction and reduces planting costs. Compared with the first season, the water utilization rate of cotton fields in the second season increased by 10% and the fertilizer utilization rate increased by 20%.
Ai Haipeng said that after scientific calculations, compared with the surrounding large traditional planting households, the average cost per mu of super cotton fields dropped to 2,378.7 yuan in the second season, and the cost per mu was nearly 420 yuan less.
“It has become a reality for one person to plant a thousand acres of cotton.” In November 2022, the second season of the super cotton field came to a perfect end: the average cotton yield per mu reached 403.6 kilograms, which was 20% higher than that of 2020.In 21 years, the amount increased by 149.6 kilograms, with a profit of nearly 3 million yuan.
From a wasteland to a high-yield cotton field, behind it are countless days and nights of persistence and innovation.
Another highlight of the second season of Super Cotton Field is that Hunan girl Mo Xiaoyu replicates the smart agricultural management model of Super Cotton Field and challenges one person to plant and manage 500 acres of cotton fields. Ai Haipeng is the mentor of Mo Xiaoyu, a “newbie” in cotton farming.
That year, Mo Xiaoyu’s 500 acres of cotton fields produced a cotton yield of 370 kilograms per acre. Excluding costs, she earned more than 200,000 yuan. On November 29, 2022, technological seeds from Mo Xiaoyu’s 500 acres of cotton field also flew to space on the Shenzhou 15 manned spacecraft.
“Through the two years of exploration and practice of the ‘Super Cotton Field’, it has been gradually verified that empowered by XAG’s smart agricultural technology, the unmanned management model is completely feasible.” On October 11, 2022, the “2022 At the 2020 Environmental Health Global Summit, Gong Yaoqin, co-founder of XAG Technology, used the “Super Cotton Field” as a practical case to share China’s experience in digital farmland management with the world.
The smart agricultural management model is becoming increasingly perfect in the third quarter
On April 15, the third season of sowing in XAG’s 3,000-acre “super cotton field” is about to end.
This year, in addition to using agricultural Internet of Things technology, dry sowing and wet seeding technology, under-film drip irrigation and other technologies for sowing in the “Super Cotton Field”, thickened mulch films were also used to “preserve moisture and increase temperature” to eliminate weeds and prevent wind, which will facilitate later development. Recycle.
Since last year, XAG Technology has further improved the weak technical links in the “Super Cotton Field”, overcome the challenges of unpredictable natural environment to agricultural planting, improved the rate of unmanned management, and further reduced planting costs.
The problem of wind protection in cotton fields has been solved, intelligent equipment and related software have been updated and iterated, and the smart agricultural management model has become increasingly perfect. “This year’s cotton fields will fully adopt the ‘cotton and wheat separate sowing’ planting model, and the average cotton output per mu is expected to be 430 kilograms.” Super cotton field manager Ai Haipeng is confident about the goal for the third season.
At present, the smart agricultural management model of Super Cotton Field has had a certain influence in the local area, and many local farmers have also begun to try to apply the smart agricultural management model to grow cotton.
Li Yongqian is a big grower in Daxi Village. The cotton seedling period is the day that worries him the most every year. Strong winds will dry out the cotton seedlings and reduce production. Last year, he adopted Super Cotton Field’s “separate seeding of cotton and wheat” wind protection technology to achieve stable production.
“Wheat is sown in mid-March, and cotton is sown in early April. The wheat seedlings that have grown to about 10 centimeters are the natural ‘windbreaks’ for the early growth of cotton seedlings.” Li Yongqian said that last year he planted 500 acres of cotton. Produced above 400 kg.
“The smart agricultural management model has great advantages. With fewer people, efficiency is higher, production costs are lower, and cotton yield and quality are improved.” Yang Xiaojia, a villager in Huojia Village, Dunkuotan Township, Yuli County, planted 1,900 acres of cotton fields , this year he began to cooperate with XAG Technology, which will be responsible for cotton field management.
This year, after successfully challenging 500 acres of cotton fields, Mo Xiaoyu transformed into a smart agriculture recorder, observer, and promoter. She traveled across the country to use her personal experience and lens to promote the smart agriculture management model.
“The ‘Super Cotton Field’ model can not only be applied to the cotton industry, but can also be promoted to all areas of modern agriculture. I hope that more young people will understand, recognize, and use this model.” Mo Xiaoyu said.
Ai Haipeng said that in the third quarter, a commercial smart agricultural management model that can be applied on a large scale will be summarized, so that more cotton farmers and enterprises can use this model, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Xinjiang cotton. quality and market competitiveness.
AAA
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