Mobile technology lifts remote region(3)

China Mobile has launched pilot projects in Shihezi, a county in northern Xinjiang, involving automatic drip irrigation systems since 2009. Incorporated with the Internet of things technology, the system allows users to control irrigation through operating the switches of electromagnetic valves using mobile terminals.

The system can identify irrigation quantity and duration based on information it has gathered on soil dampness. It can also allow for the different irrigation requirements of crops and carry out integrated analysis of the weather, soil dampness, evaporation and rainfall to monitor the growth environment of crops.

Tang Yongzhu, 55, is among thousands of cotton farmers in Shihezi to adopt this irrigation system. Tang owns 60 mu of cotton fields that provide the only source of income for his family. By planting cotton, Tang supported his two sons to go to university and bought a new motorcycle this year. "The system has helped increase cotton production," Tang said as he carefully checked the cotton buds. The average yield has increased by 80 to 100 kilograms per mu under automatic drip irrigation, a delighted Tang added.

In addition, it saves labor since it takes a mere five hours for Tang to complete the irrigation of 60 mu of cotton fields compared with more than 24 hours previously, he said.

In Shihezi, automatic irrigation had been brought to nine farms with a total application area of 800,000 mu. By 2015 it is estimated more than 1.3 million mu will have it, said Su Jun, a local water-saving expert.

"The system is both efficient and low cost. To install it requires 750 yuan investment per mu. With the majority of the cost is subsidized by the local government, farmers only need to pay tens of yuan per mu," said Su. He added the irrigation technology is going to be promoted in the rest of the country. The technology was also exported to neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan and some African nations.

Information service

Zhai Xuejun, director of China Semi-Arid Agricultural Engineering Technology Research Center, said if the technology was applied in half of the wheat fields on the Chinese mainland, it would save 20 billion cubic meters of water a year.

"Then we can achieve the national target of increasing 50 million tons of grain output in just one year. It is of great significance in helping to ensure national food security and sustainable agricultural development," he said. 

China Mobile has invested 35 million yuan in Xinjiang since 2007 to build up a rural information service. Farmers in Xinjiang receive free text messages on topics such as markets, technology and government policies, which helps them better understand national market trends, improve productivity and make better decisions.

Governments at all levels and farmers cooperatives can provide tailored information to local residents. There are nearly 800,000 users of the mobile rural information network in Xinjiang. A total of 1 billion messages about agriculture have been sent to farmers so far, involving a transaction volume of more than 50 million yuan, official data showed.

Ruoqiang county, southeast of the Taklimakan Desert, is home to fine quality sweet melons. Previously, because of transportation and communication problems, farmers often failed to find enough buyers and had to watch their crops rot in the fields.

Now the sweet melons are sold across the country and have even been exported overseas thanks to mobile technology. Local farmers have learned to establish brands in order to attract customer loyalty.

Liu Sanhai, founder of Xinjiang Sanhai Melon Patch Co, said he discussed business on the phone with dealers from Shanghai and Beijing from time to time. "The mobile phone helps me know about the outside world. In the meantime, I can send my sweet melon production information to customers and find out their needs," Liu said.