Tech-powered Grain Production Sees Bountiful Rice Harvest in Chongzhou, Sichuan

On the morning of September 11, the 320,000 mu (approximately 21,333 hectares) of rice in Chongzhou, Sichuan ‌officially started harvesting. Across the sprawling rice paddies of Western Sichuan, growers were capitalizing on the sunny weather to coordinate farm machinery in an orderly manner, with the entire scene brimming with the delight of bringing every harvest grain into storage.

Entering the pilot-scale demonstration and maturation base of the National Rice Industry Technology System located in Tianfu Granary National Modern Agricultural Industrial Park, six large combine harvesters were weaving through the continuous stretches of rice paddies. Amid the rumble of the machinery, the processes of cutting, threshing and loading were finished in one smooth sequence. Full mechanization of the entire operation enabled the contiguous rice fields to complete harvesting within a very short period.

Yang Fuming, personnel in charge of the base, noted, "We are projected to harvest 300 mu (20 hectares) of farmland today!" The rice varieties selected and cultivated this year are the premium cultivars prioritized for promotion by Chengdu, with excellent lodging resistance and remarkable high-yield traits. Based on the current progress of harvesting and grain storage, a 5% year-on-year yield increase is fully achievable this year, equivalent to an additional output of approximately 35kg per mu (1 mu≈ 0.067 hectares)."

When talking about the secrets behind the high yield, Yang Fuming noted, "Besides the carefully selected fine varieties, we have also fully implemented standardized field management and fully leveraged technological empowerment this year. For instance, when facing high-temperature weather in June and July, we continuously carried out irrigation and drainage operations to lower the temperature in the paddy fields. The rice this year has achieved excellent growth performance, featuring high yield and favorable economic benefits. All the growers are overjoyed, and I feel even more pleased."

The solid foundation for this bumper harvest stems not only from high-quality improved varieties, but also from the deep implementation of smart agriculture. In recent years, Chongzhou has been continuously transforming computing power into a "new type of farm tool" that covers the whole workflow of rice cultivation. Leveraging the "sky-air-ground" integrated farmland data acquisition system, growers are able to collect real-time data covering crop growth and pest & disease control. Cloud-side AI intelligent agent computing directly generates precision planting decisions, making smart production links including high-temperature yield-stabilizing management and unmanned field inspection run through the full rice growth cycle, thus effectively stabilizing both yield and quality even under extreme weather scenarios.

It is learned that closely centering on the construction of the core demonstration area of the "Tianfu Granary", Chongzhou has deeply implemented the strategies of "grain storage in cultivated land and grain storage through technological progress". In 2026, Chongzhou has achieved a total of 365,000 mu (approximately 24,333 hectares) of large-spring grain planting area, of which 320,000 mu (approximately 21,333 hectares) is rice. Currently, the rice has entered the full harvesting period, with its overall growth performance outperforming that of last year. The total output is projected to hit 180,000 tons, and the city-wide harvesting operations will be continuously carried out until the end of September. (Deng Yaxin)

Translated by: Zhang Feng from Jinan University

Reviewed by: Mao Min from Beijing Yooyi Culture and Media Com., Ltd.