China’s First Unmanned Farm Boosts Wheat Yields 20% With AI

The sun beats down on golden wheat fields in Zhangzhuangli village, Henan province. But instead of farmers toiling, intelligent drones patrol the skies while driverless harvesters move with uncanny precision. This is no science fiction scene – it’s the groundbreaking reality of China’s first fully unmanned wheat-corn rotation farm in Qingfeng county, delivering a stunning 20% increase in wheat yields.

The Rise of the “Iron Workhorses”

Covering 233 hectares, this pioneering farm, designed by scientists from Henan Agricultural University under the “sci-tech backyard program,” has achieved a historic milestone: fully unmanned operations for plowing, planting, field management, and harvesting. For generations, harvest meant the whole family sweating in the fields,” observed Zhou Jianshi, head of the local agricultural machinery cooperative, watching an autonomous harvester. “Now these ‘iron workhorses’ do it all on their own. It’s simply amazing.” The farm deploys an integrated fleet – driverless harvesters and tractors, air suction seeders, precision irrigation systems, and scouting drones – all orchestrated through China’s domestically developed Beidou navigation satellites. In the mission control room, giant screens display real-time data on soil moisture, seedling density, and pest alerts, creating a live digital twin of the fields.

Precision Power: Efficiency Gains and Sustainability Wins

The shift to full automation has yielded dramatic results beyond the headline yield boost. According to Zhou, harvesting time was slashed from seven days to just four. Labor requirements for critical tasks like water and fertilizer management plummeted by 80%, with overall human costs reduced by 40%. “But efficiency jumped by 30 percent compared to last year’s traditional methods,” Zhou emphasized. The secret lies in hyper-precision. Drones patrol daily, collecting field data at 10 points every 30 minutes. “Predictive models translate the data into growth patterns, yield forecasts, and precise water needs,” explained Wang Qiang, director of the Qingfeng sci-tech backyard program and associate professor at Henan Agricultural University. The smart irrigation system divides fields into six zones, watering each based on exact crop needs. Zhou noted irrigation labor fell 90%, with one person managing via smartphone what previously took ten. Precision fertilizer application cut chemical use by 20% and boosted absorption efficiency by 30%. “The core is matching water and fertilizer to the crop’s exact needs,” stated Ye Youliang, founder of the sci-tech backyard program and professor at Henan Agricultural University. “Integrated water fertilization systems deliver nutrients precisely, resulting in less input, higher quality, and truly sustainable farming.”

Standing amidst the vibrant fields, Wang Qiang sees Qingfeng as more than just a successful pilot: it’s a scalable blueprint for China’s agricultural future. “Qingfeng offers a replicable model for China’s agricultural modernization,” he asserted. “Next, we’ll refine full-process unmanned tech, cut costs further, and amplify these efficiency gains.” This autonomous revolution, blending AI, robotics, and big data, promises not just higher yields but a fundamental shift towards smarter, more sustainable food production. Discover how this unmanned farm model could transform global agriculture.

Must Know

• What makes the Qingfeng farm “fully unmanned”?
  The farm achieves complete autonomy across the entire crop cycle – plowing, planting, managing (irrigation, fertilization, pest monitoring), and harvesting – using driverless machinery guided by Beidou satellites, drones for scouting, and AI for coordination, minimizing direct human intervention in the fields. (Source: Qingfeng sci-tech backyard program, Henan Agricultural University, June 2024).
• What were the key efficiency gains reported?
  Significant improvements include a 20% increase in wheat yield, harvesting time reduced from 7 days to 4, an 80% drop in water/fertilizer management labor, 40% lower overall human costs, 90% less irrigation labor, 20% less fertilizer used, and a 30% boost in operational efficiency. (Source: Zhou Jianshi, Qingfeng Agricultural Machinery Cooperative, June 2024).
• How does the precision irrigation system work?
  The system divides the farm into six zones. Data from drones and ground sensors (collected at 10 points every 30 minutes) feeds predictive models. This determines the exact water needs for each specific zone, activating irrigation only where and when necessary, drastically reducing waste and labor. (Source: Wang Qiang, Henan Agricultural University, June 2024).
• What role does the “sci-tech backyard program” play?
  Designed and implemented by scientists from Henan Agricultural University, this program aims to bridge cutting-edge agricultural research with practical, large-scale farming applications. The Qingfeng unmanned farm is its flagship demonstration project for integrated smart agriculture. (Source: Ye Youliang, Henan Agricultural University, June 2024).
• Is this model scalable for wider use in China?
  Yes, developers explicitly designed the Qingfeng farm as a replicable model. Researchers are actively working to refine the technology further and reduce implementation costs to facilitate broader adoption across China’s agricultural landscape. (Source: Wang Qiang, Henan Agricultural University, June 2024).
• What technology enables the driverless operations?
  The core navigation and positioning system enabling the autonomous tractors and harvesters relies on China’s domestically developed Beidou satellite network, providing the precise location data required for field operations. (Source: Qingfeng sci-tech backyard program technical documentation, June 2024).