In Chinese countryside, a real scientific and technological revolution is underway. Under the leadership of the “Central Document No. 1” of 2025, which encourages the development of new quality productive forces in agriculture taking into account local conditions, Chinese farmers turn massively to smart machines to modernize their practices.
At the intelligent farm Yongwang, located in the Huangpi district in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei (center), the preparations for spring plowing is in full swing this year. Unlike previous years, it is now smart agricultural machines, at the forefront of technology, which occupy the front of the stage. Equipment such as autonomous tractors and driver -free rice sewers are in the spotlight, giving a decisive impulse to spring work.
Tao Zhe, a young driver of agricultural machinery, adjusts with ease the parameters of his intelligent machine. Two minutes later, to the powerful sound of the resonant engine, the autonomous tiller engages on the predefined layout, plowing, leveling and loving the earth in a single fluid gesture. In just 20 minutes, 4 MU of earth (about 0.27 hectare) are ready for sowing. A task which, in the past, required a lot of labor and time.
“All this is made possible thanks to the satellite positioning system,” explains Tao Zhe with enthusiasm. “Once the parameters are preconfigured, the machine can work independently on large plots without obstacles. It can plow almost 100 MU (about 6.67 hectares) per day, considerably reducing physical effort. In addition, the precision of the machine is exceptional, reaching the level of the centimeter. It is extremely precise!”, He exclaims.
In Chongqing, in the District of Changshou, the Fuxi farm embodies another facet of this revolution. The first innovation platform for intelligent agricultural machines in the middle of the Southwest China, it integrated the intelligent tractor “Honghu T70”, developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Powered by lithium batteries, this silver gray machine works entirely in autonomous mode thanks to the integrated Beidou navigation system, without driving cabin.
“The machine is also equipped with millimeter sensors, lidars and radars, capable of generating in real time nearly a hundred information on its condition. This allows the tractor to carry out high precision work by following a predefined and without human intervention,” explains Su Xiaoyang, responsible for the farm. By combining this equipment with suitable agricultural tools, the machine can perform various tasks such as plowing, hersage, sowing and harvesting. It can also serve as an energy source for water pumps or drums, thus demonstrating its versatility and its functional power.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, intelligent agricultural equipment, supported by information technologies such as Beidou and 5G, were deployed on production lines, with more than 600,000 tractors and combine harvesters equipped with the BEIDOU satellite navigation system in 2021. The number of agricultural machines equipped with the country Reached 2.2 million at the end of 2023, making it possible to reach a level of efficiency and precision of operations comparable to the most advanced international standards.
