The rising of plant protection drones in Xinjiang has led to the birth of “new farmers”

Debugging, taking off, spraying, landing, a set of actions flow smoothly, and the operation efficiency is far higher than manual work. Recently, in a field in Langan Village, Yuqiwusitang Township, Kuqa City, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, a reporter saw Busaremu Awla skillfully manipulating the remote control in her hand to operate a plant protection drone.

“I think operating drones is a very cool thing, and I am bent on becoming a professional ‘pilot’.” Busharemu Awla, 37, said as she watched the drones hovering in the air. In March 2021, Kuqa City held a training course for plant protection drone system operators, and she immediately signed up to participate.

To become a qualified drone “pilot” is not easy. It is not only necessary to learn to control drones to complete established flight tasks, but also to learn to install and debug drone power equipment, plan routes according to tasks, and inspect, maintain, and organize drones and other equipment. As the only female “flyer” in the training class, Boucharemu Awla’s performance was surprising. She was diligent, inquisitive, and diligent, especially in the process of field operations.

Nowadays, with the increasing popularity of drones for plant protection, Busaremu Awla has also led interested villagers in the village to learn drone control technology, including Mikregu Umar of the same village. “The people in the village have been dealing with land all their lives, and I didn’t expect that agricultural technology has developed so rapidly that we can apply new technologies to achieve income growth and prosperity.” Mikregu Umar said, and she also wanted to research and become a female “flying hand” like Boucharemu Awla.

At present, it is the spring farming season in Xinjiang, and the budding plant protection drones are common in the fields. Whether it is fertilizing green winter wheat, spraying pesticides, or pollinating fruit trees, there is no shortage of their presence. When the reporter walked into a high standard farmland in Youkaktigen Village, Ayikul Town, Aksu City, he saw that winter wheat was full of green, and a plant protection drone rose into the air, flying low along the wheat field, spraying foliage fertilizer and herbicides continuously on contiguous areas of wheat.