China Agriculture news, info, updates

[cirr]

Chinese scientists develop technique to remove metals from acidic soil

GBTIMES BEIJING

2017/02/17


Official statistics show that over 16 percent of Chinese soil is contaminated. (Photo: China News Service)

A Chinese research team has successfully developed a new nano material to address heavy metal pollution in soil.

The new material - which has been formulated by scientists from Hefei Institute of Physical Science; a subordinate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences - is highly effective in extracting and converting harmful heavy metal ions in acid soil, Xinhua News Agency reported.

About 30 percent of non-frozen land in the world is acid soil, which often has reduced agricultural output and heavy metal contamination.

Professor Wu Zhengyan, member of the research team, claimed that the material reformulated from clay and biochar can raise the pH of the acid soil to a neutral level of 7.0.

Acidic soil generally has a pH range of between 6.1 and 6.5. And around 16 percent of land surveyed in China is polluted by heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic, lead and mercury, according to figures from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ministry of Land and Resources.

The implementation of the formula - which can be manipulated into a host of forms including powder, liquid and grain - can be directly integrated into the planting process and costs between US$1.50 and $4.40 per acre.

http://gbtimes.com/china/chinese-scientists-develop-technique-remove-metals-acidic-soil

 

[ahojunk]

Jiangxi agricultural 'fairyland'
(People's Daily Online) 16:51, February 20, 2017

Xinyu, Zhejiang province has devoted itself to growing honey oranges, grapes and other products that allow local farmers to prosper. A Chinese honey orange orchard in Xinyu covers 131,000 mu (8,700 hectares), producing 120,000 tons of oranges and creating a value of 400 million RMB ($58.3 million) annually. The grape orchard, which includes more than 20 varieties, covers 11,000 mu (733 hectares), China News reported on Feb. 20.

Xinyu, Zhejiang province has devoted itself to growing honey oranges, grapes and other products that allow local farmers to prosper. A Chinese honey orange orchard in Xinyu covers 131,000 mu (8,700 hectares), producing 120,000 tons of oranges and creating a value of 400 million RMB ($58.3 million) annually. The grape orchard, which includes more than 20 varieties, covers 11,000 mu (733 hectares), China News reported on Feb. 20.

 

[TaiShang]

Xinjiang Corps dispatches large locomotives for spring plowing
(People's Daily Online) March 14, 2017


On March 10, the 10th Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps began preparing arable land with large locomotives, Cri.cn reported. Every March, the corps uses large vehicles to help melt lingering snow. At present, 10 such locomotives are dispatched to do the job on a daily basis to ensure that seeds can be sowed on time to maximize farmers’ income.


On March 10, the 10th Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps began preparing arable land with large locomotives, Cri.cn reported. Every March, the corps uses large vehicles to help melt lingering snow. At present, 10 such locomotives are dispatched to do the job on a daily basis to ensure that seeds can be sowed on time to maximize farmers’ income.

 

[TaiShang]

Li gets close look at China-made tractor
China Daily, May 9, 2017

Premier Li Keqiang called on Monday for further efforts to drive agricultural modernization and manufacturing upgrades amid China's economic transformation.

Premier Li Keqiang receives an introduction to the Zoomlion 230-horsepower tractor from the company's deputy director, Wang Jinfu, in Kaifeng, Henan province, on Monday. [Photo/China Daily]


Li, during his inspection tour in Central China's Henan province, visited an agricultural machinery manufacturing plant in Kaifeng and climbed aboard on a newly made tractor developed using domestic technology.

The premier had previously proposed developing high-powered tractors to achieve technological breakthrough.

Li also visited people living in a floodplain.

The tractor company recently designed and began making the farm tractor, which is powered by a 230-horsepower engine — a product that used to be dependent on overseas technology.

Wang Hongmei, the company's office director, said the tractors are eagerly awaited in Northeast China as well as the Xinjiang province, where large-scale farming and deep plowing are common.

Li, boarding the tractor and learning in detail about its operation from Wang Jinfu, deputy director of Zoomlion, stressed that such technology upgrades should be more widely applied to agriculture modernization.

With almost all control panels inside the operator's cab, Wang explained that the tractor can be controlled with only one hand.

The application of big data as well as an internet platform also is used by the company for product information collection, as it also developed an internet monitoring platform for all of its machinery products across China.

Breakdown in any area of a machine will be monitored by the internet platform terminal, while such information and data platform are also used for Zoomlion sales.

The company has seen a consecutive increase in sales from January to April this year.

Henan province, located alongside the lower reaches of the Yellow River, has long relied on agricultural production.

On Monday, Li paid visits to several households in Lizhuang township along the Yellow River floodplain area, where in villages scattered in low-lying areas suffer frequent flooding. Li urged the relocation of these villages. The township has 18 villages undergoing such conditions.

 

[TaiShang]

Smart agriculture thrives in Yangling

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-09-01 13:52

Yangling, an agricultural high-tech demonstration zone in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, is working on developing smart agriculture through improving the scale of intelligent technology use in agriculture production.

A plant protection unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was demonstrated in Yangling on Monday.

Produced by Shaanxi Zhuangke Agriculture Science and Technology Company, the UAV gathers data for 10 hectares of kiwi fruit farmland. After receiving the data, technicians from the company analyze the information and guide farmers to adjust agricultural practices to reduce waste of agricultural products and air pollution.

Thanks to Yangling's development strategy, an increasing number of entrepreneurs have flowed into the demonstration zone to start businesses and develop high-tech agriculture solutions.

In June, Yangling was approved as a National Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Demonstration Base.

To provide more support to the zone's businesses, Yangling launched a 10 million yuan ($1.52 million) special fund. Administrative procedures for opening a new business in Yangling also have been simplified, with over 300 procedures being cut.

 

[JSCh]

China-US friendship helps build demonstration farm
By ZHANG YU and YAN DONGJIE in Chengde, Hebei | China Daily | Updated: 2017-09-25 04:14

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US Ambassador Terry Branstad, Hebei Party chief Zhao Kezhi, second from left, and Qu Dongyu, third from left, vice-minister of agriculture, are among officials at the launch ceremony of a demonstration farm in Luanping county, North China's Hebei province on Saturday. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

Expertise from Iowa will be put to use in Hebei, officials explain

Agriculture is especially important to the people of China and the United States, and agricultural cooperation contributes to stronger ties between the two countries, the US ambassador to China said at a launch ceremony of a demonstration farm on Saturday.

The China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm, in Luanping county, Hebei province, covers an area of about 1,330 hectares. It's modeled after a farm near Maxwell, Iowa, owned by Rick and Martha Kimberley and their son Grant.

"The farm … stands as an example of how we can exchange information and ideas, and maintain a growing and improving trade relationship," said Ambassador Terry Branstad, a former governor of the US state of Iowa.

In his speech, Branstad recalled his interactions with President Xi Jinping dating to 1985, when Xi led an agricultural delegation from Hebei province to Iowa when Branstad was governor.

In 2012, invited by Branstad, Xi visited Iowa a second time. He visited the Kimberleys' farm, which he said Chinese farms should be modeled after, according to documents provided by the Luanping government.

The Kimberley farm has an area of about 1,600 hectares, similar to the demonstration farm being built in Hebei. Yet the farm only employs three people due to its use of technology and management, Rick Kimberley said.

"We have monitors that can make records of what we are planning. … The records decide the planting rates and when we harvest we know the yields all through the field. … We use GPS to make sure that we don't over plant, overuse chemicals or over-fertilize," Kimberley said, adding that every step is monitored and standardized in the farm operation.

​

US Ambassador Terry Branstad, center, Hebei Party chief Zhao Kezhi, second from right, and Qu Dongyu, third from left, vice-minister of agriculture, are among officials launch the China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm in Luanping county, North China's Hebei province on Sept 23, 2017. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

In Luanping, farms are operated on smaller scales by each household, usually 0.09 hectare per person.

Chen Shuping, a local farmer in her 50s, works on 0.35 hectare of corn farms with her husband, like many local couples do. From planting to harvest, they use their hands and sometimes machines, such as sprayers and cultivators.

Her daughter and son, who are going to school and working in the city nearby, decided not to come home to help take care of the farmland, Chen said.

"If we manage the farmlands together and apply machinery and technology, and more importantly develop the production mode and additional industries, we can improve the efficiency in many aspects," said Zhang Yueyong, president of the agricultural industry of Rise¬Sun, the demonstration farm project's main investor in Hebei.

Zhang said they will explore more possibilities in cooperation with the Kimberley farm and based on the local situation.

"We'll train the farmers to use machines, learn technologies, so they can work and even manage the farm and factories," Zhang said.

Kimberley said he'd love to bring the technology and equipment from his farm to Hebei, help train people and show how to adapt to the changes as farmers, including how to manage the farm, dry and store the grains, and use machinery.

"I am a farmer, and I have great passion for Chinese farmers. I know how hard it is to be a farmer. I want to help the farmers and make a better life for them and make more profits," he said.

The agricultural cooperation between China and the US has made positive progress in recent years, cooperative mechanisms have been improved, agricultural technology exchanges have been strengthened and agricultural trade has been developed rapidly, according to Qu Dongyu, China's vice-minister of agriculture.

​

A John Deere 8400 self-propelled forage harvester on display at China-US Friendship Demonstration Farm, in Luanping county, Hebei province, on Saturday. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

 

[ashok mourya]

How much arable land China has?what's its yield per hactre..how much land is irrigated...what is the growth in this agricultural field..

 

[JSCh]

New methods used to boost quantity and quality of agricultural output
By Qu Qiuyan Source:Global Times Published: 2017/9/26 19:13:39

Cotten Express 620, a auto-pilot cotton picker guided by the Chinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, is operating in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Monday. Photo: UniStrong Science and Technology Co

Unmanned tractors are being used to automatically plan routes and farming procedures via China's home-grown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a recent Chinese documentary showed.

The documentary also shows pictures of farmers in East China's Shandong Province flying drones to apply fertilizers to crops.

Huihuang Zhongguo, meaning "a brilliant China," a new series of TV documentaries showcasing the latest achievements of all sectors in China, showed the great development of the country's precision agriculture and biotechnological farming in its fifth episode which was aired Saturday.

A total of 1.3 billion Chinese people consume more than 1.5 million tons of food every day, according to the documentary broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV) from last Tuesday to Sunday, just ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The documentary added that China invests around 3 trillion yuan ($45 million) on developing modern agriculture each year.

Automatic tractors guided by the BDS system are now being used in more than 90 percent of the farmlands of Heilongjiang Province and in more than 60 percent of farmland in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said Zhang Ruifeng, head of the publicity department at the UniStrong Science and Technology Co, which is based in Beijing and offers satellite navigation and positioning services.

Precision is key

Automatic tractors guided by the BDS system, one of the best examples of China's precision agriculture development, have much better location accuracy than traditional tractors and are able to work constantly for 24 hours a day, Zhang told the Global Times.

Machines equipped with advanced technologies, such as the BDS unmanned tractors, could help save on land and fuel, and at the same time increase farming efficiency and grain outputs, said Zhang.

Farm owner Wang Hui from Bengbu, East China's Anhui Province, told the Global times that his farm has been using computers to monitor various grains' specific requirements for water and fertilizers, and is thus able to apply manure and water at specific times and in the required amounts.

"The advanced technology has helped me save more than 95 percent of water and fertilizers on my farm," said Wang Hui.

Beidacang, or "the north granary," which refers to an area of farmland covering 55,300 square kilometers in Heilongjiang Province, uses the BDS automatic tractors to produce more than 30 billion kilograms of grains each year, meeting the food demand for more than 100 million Chinese people, according to the CCTV documentary.

This high-tech agricultural equipment could also help reduce human labor costs, said Zhang.

A farmer surnamed Shen in Central China's Henan Province told the Global Times on Monday that a normal farmer's salary is at least 2,000 yuan ($302) each month in addition to social insurance and housing subsidies in the countryside, and that farmers in the Beijing suburbs usually earn salaries of more than 4,000 yuan each month.

"Nowadays, human labor is too expensive, so everyone is using shared or second-hand modern equipment or high-tech machines," said Shen.

Record harvests

Biotechnology is also being applied more and more widely to crops and grains in China to boost their quality and quantity.

China's "Super Rice" has had an output of more than 0.6 trillion kilograms for four consecutive years, according to the CCTV documentary, adding that China is home to the largest number of research institutes on rice seed breeding in the world.

With the improvement of living standards, emphasis should be placed on both the quality and quantity of rice, as opposed to the past century, when focus was merely given to quantity so as to meet basic food demand, said Professor Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice," said in the documentary.

The double cropping rice in Huanbei village, Xingning city of South China's Guangdong Province, which was developed by Yuan's research team, had an annual record-breaking output of 1,537.78 kilograms per mu (666.7 square meters) in 2016.

Mai Yilin, a farmer from Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has grown rice for 10 years and has developed a new type of the grain that is of better quality than normal rice.

Mai told the Global Times on Monday that he uses advanced biotechnologies in the rice, which has a better quality in terms of PH value, microorganisms and amino acid.

"With the advanced technologies, the rice grown on my farm does not need any pesticide, which guarantees that the rice has no harmful chemical effects and stays pure and natural," said Mai.

 

[JSCh]

The Earliest City in China - Lixian held World Chengtoushan Rice-Farming Civilization Forum
2017-09-26 17:39

CHANGDE, China, Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Chengtoushan World Rice-Farming Civilization Forum was held in Lixian, a district country under Changde municipality from September 21-23, 2017. The forum was hosted by the Changde municipal government, the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center / Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, and the Caijing Magazine, and organized by the Lixian government. The forum was chaired by Professor Yuan Longping, the "Father of Hybrid Rice".

Chengtoushan is the site of the earliest city in China according to archaeology studies, the unearthing of Chengtoushan ruins provided evidence of Chinese civilization to 6,500 years, 1,000 years earlier than the previously recognized record. The world earliest farming and irrigation system ruins were also unveiled in the Chengtoushan site.

The forum attracted the attention of leading archaeology scholars from China and overseas. It also invited guest speakers including Ms. Caroline Legros, the Deputy Director of the World Food Programmer's (WFP) China office to speak at the opening ceremony, Professor Luo Xiwen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Professor Zhao Hui, former Dean of the School of Archaeology and Museology.

The forum featured the Origination and Development of the World Rice-Farming Civilization, leading scholars and functional experts from Agriculture, Farming, and Heritage Protection, it also discussed the potential of the World Heritage of the Liyang Plain.

Food Security and Food Safety

"Food Security and Food safety have been two important subjects in the forum, Yuan Longping's hybrid rice farming scheme shows the potential for harvests of 15 tons per hectare. It provides inspiration for countries still struggling to achieve food security - it resulted in a significant contribution to global food security" said Caroline Legros in her keynote speech to the forum.

The World Culture Tourism Destination

Lixian has a history dating back to 6,500 years and it has 14 national heritage sites. Chengtoushan represents the early civilization of the Yangtze river area, and was demonstrated in the Chinese pavilion of the World Expo.

The Chengtoushan Consensus - an advocacy of heritage protection

As an outcome of the forum, scholars and experts signed "The Chengtoushan Consensus", which fully agreed on the unique value of Chengtoushan site, especially the rice fields in the Tangjiagang period, as the origin of rice culture. The Consensus also suggested to protect and utilize the site with archaeological research and kick off the initiative of applying World Culture Heritage for Lixian sites.

Source: The Organizing Committee of 2017 Chengtoushan World Rice-Farming Civilization Forum


The Earliest City in China - Lixian held World Chengtoushan Rice-Farming Civilization Forum-PR Newswire Asia

 

[Tang_BJ]

How much arable land China has?what's its yield per hactre..how much land is irrigated...what is the growth in this agricultural field..

you can google it, it's very easy to dig out this kind of agricultural comparison data, China irrigated land is similar as india,but with well management,china can produce more food.

 

[TaiShang]

you can google it, it's very easy to dig out this kind of agricultural comparison data, China irrigated land is similar as india,but with well management,china can produce more food.

Besides China is at the forefront of land reclamation and reforestation.

No hunger or death from malnourishment in China.

 

[Tang_BJ]

Besides China is at the forefront of land reclamation and reforestation.

No hunger or death from malnourishment in China.

How much arable land China has?what's its yield per hactre..how much land is irrigated...what is the growth in this agricultural field..

http://www.indexmundi.com/factbook/compare/india.china

comparison data:
area of india: total: 3,287,263 sq km, china: total: 9,596,960 sq km
india : agricultural land: 60.5%
arable land 52.8%; permanent crops 4.2%; permanent pasture 3.5%
forest: 23.1%
other: 16.4% (2011 est.)

china: agricultural land: 54.7%
arable land 11.3%; permanent crops 1.6%; permanent pasture 41.8%
forest: 22.3%
other: 23% (2011 est.)

india Irrigated land:667,000 sq km (2012) china: 690,070 sq km (2012)

 

[JSCh]

Chinese scientists spot genetic way to clean up contaminated rice
Source:Global Times Published: 2017/9/27 21:28:40

A prominent Chinese rice expert recently announced that he and his research team have made a breakthrough in removing cadmium from rice, which could make the grain safer and cleaner.

Rice contamination of this kind could lead to kidney failure or bone cancer, according to the website of agriculture authority in Huaihua, Central China's Hunan Province.

The website added that the problem of rice contaminated by cadmium is obvious in Hunan.

Professor Yuan Longping, who is known as China's "father of the hybrid rice," described this new development at a new rice exhibition in Hunan, Hunan Daily reported on Monday.

"We've seen a breakthrough in rice seed breeding, in removing genes containing or absorbing cadmium in the parent seeds. And, if they are clean, then the rice seed is clean," said Yuan.

Media have been reporting, since back in 2013, that the soil in many of China's key rice-producing regions contains high levels of cadmium, lead, arsenic and other harmful heavy metals.

The latest figures from the Environmental Protection and Land and Resources ministries show about 16 percent of China's land is polluted by cadmium, arsenic, lead, mercury and other heavy metals.

With the improvement in the standard of living, we need to place emphasis on the quality, and not just the quantity, of rice, as opposed to the past century, when the focus was merely on quantity to meet basic food demands, Yuan said in a recent documentary, Huihuang Zhongguo or "Brilliant China."

Yuan's new achievement in cadmium removal will most likely help reverse the domestic problem of crops containing heavy metals, said the Hunan Daily report.

 

[JSCh]

China Focus: Chinese saline soil rice experiment a success
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-29 00:18:02|Editor: An



QINGDAO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A rice growing experiment with saline-alkali soil has beaten expectations, laying the foundation for commercialization, Chinese scientists announced Thursday.

Four types of rice registered an estimated output of between 6.5 to 9.3 tonnes per hectare after testing at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center.

In spring, more than 200 types of rice were planted at the center in the coastal city of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province. Diluted seawater was used on the soil to test which types could survive and prosper in saline environments.

Seawater from the nearby Yellow Sea was pumped into the center, diluted to a salinity of around 0.3 percent and channeled into the rice paddies, then increased to around 0.6 percent salinity, to intensify the effect on the rice.

Researchers had expected an output of around 4.5 tonnes per hectare, said Wang Kexiang, chief of center's technology department.

"The test results greatly exceeded our expectations," said Liu Shiping, a professor of agriculture at Yangzhou University, who is reviewing the results.

Certain types of wild rice that have not yet been modified by humans can survive salinity, but they typically have a yield of between 1.125 to 2.25 tonnes per hectare.

Yuan Longping, who led the experiment, said that he was very satisfied with the results. Known as China's "Father of Hybrid Rice," Yuan helped found the Qingdao center in October 2016.

Rice is a Chinese staple, and the mission of the center is to develop commercially viable rice tolerant of saline-alkali soil.

INCREASED HEALTH BENEFITS

Yuan said the increased harvest may encourage farmers to grow more such rice in the future.

"If a farmer tries to grow some types of saline-tolerant rice now, they most likely will get 1,500 kilograms per hectare. That is just not profitable and not even worth the effort," Yuan said.

"Farmers will have an incentive to grow the rice if we can double the yield," he said.

Increased productivity could also change the landscapes. China has about 100 million hectares of saline-alkali soil, of which about one fifth could be cultivated, Yuan said.

Millions of hectares in humid regions of South and Southeast Asia are technically suited for rice production, but are left uncultivated or have very low yields because of salinity and problem soil, according to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the leading research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science, which is based in the Philippines.

Breeding varieties with in-built salt tolerance is considered the most promising, economical and socially acceptable approach, the IRRI said.

Theoretically, rice grown in saline soil carries added benefits. Calcium and other micro-nutrients are abundant in salty environments, so the rice could be rich in these nutrients.

It is also difficult for pathogenic bacteria to grow on saline-alkali soil, so rice grown there is less likely to be exposed to pests, which would mean pesticide use could be decreased, said Yang Hongyan from the Qingdao center.

LONG WAY AHEAD

Despite Thursday's announcement of the record-high output, breeding rice varieties that are tolerant to saline-alkali soil is an arduous task.

At the Qingdao center, scientists have gathered over 200 types of rice from around the world, planted them and installed sensors in the fields to monitor the environment.

So far, the center has also carried out experiments on 35 types of rice at 23 locations in China, to see which specific types of rice are most suitable for each area.

It usually takes several years to go through the various legal procedures involved in having one crop approved by the government for mass production and distribution on a commercial level.

In addition, to identify and breed potential types of rice, the center will study saline-alkali soil as well, which involves major engineering and soil amelioration processes.

But Yuan's team isn't daunted by the difficulties.

They are aiming to change 6.67 million hectares of previously saline land into arable land, and increase rice production to feed 80 million people, the scientists said.

 

[TaiShang]

Oct 10, 2017 07:15 PM

Chinese Farmers Turn to Crop-Dusting Drones
By Li Liuqian and Li Rongde

The national government and provincial authorities across China have doled out millions in subsidies in recent years to farmers looking to buy drones, such as the one pictured about that is crop-dusting a wheat field in Shandong province. Photo: Visual China

Chinese farmers faced with labor shortages are turning to crop-dusting drones. But this newfound love for the cost-saving devices may not be good news for farmers and consumers as a lack of regulations and industry standards may lead to the abuse of pesticides and fertilizers, experts warned.

Wen Bohua, a rice grower in Shakou village in Tianmen, Hubei province, uses a drone to spray pesticides on his 50-acre paddy field. The device manufactured by Guangzhou-based drone producer Xaircraft Co., Ltd. cost him 130,000 yuan ($19,619).

"I was planning to use the drone on my own fields, but nearly 90% of farmers in my hometown paid me to use it for crop-dusting operations on their fields," Wen said. In less than six months, his remote-controlled device had flown over 1,600 acres of cultivated land spraying insecticides and fertilizers.

The number of drones deployed for crop-dusting in China has skyrocketed from only 500 in 2014 to about 8,000 at the end of 2016, according to Yu Jingbing, a deputy head of the Shenzhen UAV Industry Association. The number is expected to nearly double to 15,000 this year, he said.

Demand from farmers has spawned an estimated multi-billion yuan business for the country’s drone manufacturers who earlier focused on applications including aerial photography, pollution monitoring and assistance in search and rescue efforts.

Drones were used to apply pesticides to 4.65 million acres of cultivated land last year, 2.4 times the area recorded in 2015, data from the Ministry of Agriculture show.

But, the popularity of these devices has led to an exodus of laborers in their prime into big cities, pushing up labor costs, according to Gong Jiaqin, co-founder of Xaircraft.

For example, employees working in cotton fields in the Xinjiang Province were paid 100 yuan per day in 2013, but could now cost at least 200 yuan per day, Gong said.

Crop-dusting operations are carried out three to five times a year and each time it costs between 60 to 120 yuan per acre, which creates a potential market of 60 billion yuan in China, according to an estimate from marketing research firm Guangzheng Hengsheng.

The Chinese government has stepped up efforts to nurture this emerging sector with subsidies to drone-makers or companies that allow farmers to lease unmanned crop-dusting aircraft.

The governments in the central provinces of Henan and Hunan doled out nearly four million yuan to match some eight million yuan from the central government in subsidies for 175 crop-dusting drones bought by local companies in 2014, according to Ministry of Agriculture. Other regions have launched similar pilots since 2015.

However the emerging sector is beset by a lack of regulations and industry standards, according to several industry analysts interviewed by Caixin.

Engineers designing agricultural drones have little knowledge of how pesticides work, but are often tasked with decisions about how pesticides should be diluted, how fast these planes can fly and at what altitude, according to the analysts.

A farmer recently sued a company in Qingyuan, Guangdong province, which specializes in flying crop-dusting drones, asking for hundreds of thousands of yuan in damages after an unmanned aircraft that was supposed to fly over a sugarcane field accidently sprayed an adjoining field, according to Huang Shan, head of the company.

Manufacturers of drones including Xaircraft and DJI Technology Co. Ltd., have different specifications for crop-dusting drones such as load capacity, flying speed and flow of diluted pesticide, a survey by Caixin shows.

Wen, the rice grower in Hubei, said that he flies his drone at a speed of 3.5 meters per second to make sure 5.4 to 6 liters of pesticide are sprayed on an acre of paddy, but some commercial operators only use 3 liters which could lead to low yields or damage to crops.

Sugarcane fields need as much as 9 liters of pesticides per acre to work, but some drones used just a little over half the amount required, according to Wei Neng, general manager of Guangxi Yunrui Sci-tech Co., a private firm specializing in agricultural drone manufacturing.

The agriculture ministry says it has taken note of the problems and was working on two sets of standards linked to the use of drones in agriculture including crop-dusting, but the ministry did not detail a timeframe for release of the two documents.

http://www.caixinglobal.com/2017-10-10/101154468.html