How AI is redefining precision farming in China

"Innovation Today, Food Security Tomorrow" is the theme for the 46th World Food Day, which takes place on Friday.

As artificial intelligence (AI) moves from laboratories to fields, China's agriculture sector is undergoing a shift from experience-driven to data-driven farming.

AI is accelerating advances in seed breeding.

The "Shennong Guxin" intelligent breeding model developed by China Agricultural University integrates genotypic data with agricultural knowledge graphs, drawing on tens of millions of data entries.

The model has shortened breeding cycles by more than 30%, reducing the time needed to develop new varieties from the conventional five to eight years to two to three years.

Two new lettuce varieties developed using the model, Yanqi No.

1 and Yanqi No.

2, have been successfully trialed in Huairou District, Beijing, where they have shown strong stress resistance and good quality.

AI is also making field management more precise.

This year, Longquan City in east China's Zhejiang Province deployed intelligent pest-monitoring systems across about 733 hectares of early-season rice fields.

Operating around the clock, the systems provide digital monitoring of crop pests and diseases.

The initiative has reduced pesticide use by 20%, achieved pest-control effectiveness of more than 90% and kept crop losses caused by pests and diseases below 5%.

Farmers can use pest alerts sent to their phones to guide drones in applying pesticides precisely to affected areas.

According to the report, this means even people without farming experience can carry out targeted pesticide application.