Drone “Smart” Farming “Small Wings” Leading the Big Industry

Taking off, spraying, landing… Nowadays, “flying airplanes” to cultivate land and “smart farms” are becoming the daily routine of new farmers. From traditional manual labor to technological innovation, from following to leading, many young people choose to contribute their youth to the field of hope. He Yangzheng, a young entrepreneur born in the 1990s in Songjiang and the chairman of Shanghai Tushibao Agricultural Professional Cooperative, is one of the representatives. Through new technologies, platforms, and concepts, he injects “new vitality” into traditional agriculture and paints a modern and digital agricultural picture.Smart farms paint a new picture of rural industries, and agricultural digitization is also a new business form. As a young person, I hope to explore digital agriculture and attract young people and technological talents to join modern agriculture, solving the problem of rural labor shortage, “He Yangyang said in an interview with the Youth Daily reporter. At first, farmers did not understand the effectiveness of drone plant protection, making it difficult to promote it. As the first batch of farmers applied technology to agriculture and achieved results, more and more local farmers realized the benefits of technology for agriculture, and the use of agricultural drones increasedIn front of the rice planting area of Shanghai Tushibao Agricultural Professional Cooperative, a reporter from Youth Daily observed that with the buzzing of the rotor, an unmanned agricultural plant protection machine flew into the sky. The unmanned plant protection machine followed the previously set route and flew at a constant speed over the rice fields that needed fertilization, spreading the fertilizer evenly, greatly reducing labor costs.Utilize field land to train farmers’ skills and quickly transform new technologies and skills into the productivity of modern agriculture. When the reporter asked how they initially thought of gradually replacing manual labor with drones, He Yangyang recalled: I am a local from Xinbang Town, Songjiang. In 2017, the country proposed a rural revitalization strategy, so in 2018, I chose to return to my hometown to start a business. College students need to take a differentiated path when starting a business. Faced with the current situation of insufficient rural labor force, we initially thought of forming a team of agricultural unmanned plant protection machines, hoping to replace manual labor and improve production efficiency through technological and digital means. At that time, it was only the initial stage of digitization, but now We are building a smart farmThe characteristic of young people is their daring to think and act. From training to testing, and finally to practical application, drones have achieved excellent results in the field. He Yangyang candidly said, “Initially, farmers were not aware of the effectiveness of drone plant protection, making it difficult to promote it. As the first batch of farmers applied technology to agriculture and achieved results, more and more local farmers realized the benefits of technology for agriculture, and the use of agricultural drones increasedThe innovation of technology and the popularization of agricultural mechanization have made spring plowing and autumn harvest increasingly easy. With the cooperation of He Yangyang and team members, surrounding family farmers and rural surplus labor trained more than 160 farmer pilots and obtained drone flight licenses issued by the Flight Standards Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, enhancing farmers’ versatile employment skills. In addition, under the guidance of the Shanghai Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, Shanghai Tushibao Agricultural Professional Cooperative completed the standardized pilot project of “drone service for modern agriculture (rice planting)” in 2022, formulated process data parameters for drone operation drug and fertilizer usage, and provided technical standards for the promotion of drone plant protection operations in the Shanghai region.sink below the surface of the earthIn fact, this is a natural process. After discovering problems, I find ways to solve them. As I continue to delve into agriculture, I have discovered that the entire agricultural industry chain, including cultivation, planting, management, and harvesting, requires increased investment in technology. Therefore, I began to explore the digital construction of agricultureDuring the on-site interview, the reporter found that the footage that came into view not only included drones “broadcasting” nutrients, but also “planting” rice into the cloud. With the application of new technology industries such as the Internet of Things and high-precision maps, automation innovation in agricultural production is imminent. When it comes to exploring agricultural digitization, He Yangyang said, “In fact, this is a natural process. After discovering problems, I find ways to solve them. As I continue to delve into agriculture, I have discovered that the entire agricultural industry chain, including cultivation, planting, management, and harvesting, requires increased investment in science and technology. Therefore, I began to explore the construction of agricultural digitizationThe most vivid display is the orderly operation of unmanned agricultural machinery in the agricultural field. The reporter observed that unmanned agricultural machinery has neither a driver’s cab nor a steering wheel. The secret behind this lies in the installation of a 5G agricultural dedicated network, combined with 5G Beidou high-precision positioning, artificial intelligence, and big data, replacing traditional operation modes such as manual and remote control, and achieving the upgrade of “CNC”. When it comes to the construction of a “smart farm”, He Yangyang instantly opened up the “conversation box”: Our digital construction is mainly divided into four aspects: firstly, the digitization of agricultural resource basic data; secondly, the automation of agricultural machinery and equipment, which interacts with spatial navigation systems to complete operations through data-driven methods; thirdly, the standardization of agricultural technology, which achieves precise, precise, and timely fertilizer application through agricultural machinery and equipment; fourthly, the digitization of agricultural management and agricultural products, which is achieved through standardization Output, digital trajectory response, achieving product digitizationUnmanned agricultural machinery is orderly plowing and fertilizing in rural fields, becoming a new rural scenery. He Yangyang is not only optimistic about the development of smart farms, but also looks forward to more young people joining in the construction of smart farms. Engaging in modern and technological agricultural production, whether it is data collection, transformation of agricultural machinery equipment, or construction of digital system platforms, requires a large number of young and technological forces to devote themselves to agriculturebrandWe are continuously building IP brand effects, promoting the brand image of high-quality rice, forming production and sales consortia, and avoiding the dilemma of farmers selling rice directly without sales channels in the past. We will increase the added value of rice and increase the income of farmers in cooperatives through multiple channels and aspectsThe transition from “mud legs” to technology in the field is only a part of the agricultural closed-loop. How to connect upstream planting bases, midstream technological strength, downstream sales channels and brand influence, and integrate the first, second, and third industries is an important issue.In order to unite farmers and advance together with them, He Yangyang also extended the work cycle by developing derivative products. We are continuously building the Tushibao IP brand effect and promoting the brand image of high-quality rice. In 2021, we will establish the ‘Songjiang Rice’ production and sales consortium to avoid the dilemma of farmers selling rice directly without sales channels. In addition, we have also developed products such as Tushibao wine and Tushibao ecological rice flour, which have been launched to increase the added value of rice, thereby increasing the income of farmers in the cooperative through multiple channels and aspects He Yangyang said.For brand building, high-quality products are the core, and circulation channels are also essential. He Yangyang proudly said: The planting area of the cooperative has expanded from 200 acres at the beginning of its establishment to 1427 acres now. It adheres to the combination of pure ecological planting and green planting, introduces the concept and methods of pure natural ecological planting in traditional Chinese medicine agriculture, replaces chemical fertilizers and pesticides with animal and plant derived drugs and fertilizers, reduces the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in the planting area, reduces agricultural non-point source pollution, continuously improves the water, soil, and air ecological environment in the planting area, and enhances the quality and value of rice. In 2019 The ‘Songjiang Rice’ produced by Tushibao made its debut at the 2nd China International Import and Export Fair, enhancing the brand influence of Songjiang Rice