Beijing Office of Changjiang Daily:

China has seen bumper harvest this year. Could you share with us the application of BDS technology in agriculture? Thanks.

Ran Chengqi:

The application of BDS in agriculture has drawn much attention. The high-precision agricultural application of BDS will be significant since agriculture constitutes a vital area. During my visit and field trip to Xinjiang around five or six years ago, I saw the high-accuracy application of BDS. For example, I was told that when there were no high-precision products, the labor intensity of drivers was very high as they had to maintain precision while operating the harvesters and other agricultural machinery. After the broad application of the highly accurate BDS, the accuracy of the agricultural machinery can reach about two centimeters, greatly easing the drivers' labor intensity. A driver told me he didn't need to do anything in the machinery except turn the steering wheel in a corner. The vast land of Xinjiang means that farming machinery must drive long distances. Therefore, BDS could be applied well in fertilization, sowing, agrochemical spraying, harvesting and other agricultural activities. I was also told that thanks to high-precision BDS, the precision of seedling fertilization could reach around two centimeters. This seemingly small technological progress can bring about significant changes. For example, precise plowing, agrochemical spraying, and fertilization can significantly cut costs, improve efficiency, reduce labor intensity, and increase the returns of the farms.

The high accuracy of BDS has been applied in agriculture in several other cases. BDS has fully empowered agricultural production and become a vital scientific and technological force driving agricultural development. According to incomplete statistics, the number of automatic agricultural machinery based on BDS has exceeded 200,000 units (sets) this year, providing tangible services for farmers and improving agricultural ecological efficiency. During the past autumn, BDS-based self-driving tractors, seeders, harvesters and other agricultural machinery, and drones played a significant role in harvesting, plowing and sowing in Beijing, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang, Gansu and other places. Many farmers plan the routes of the machinery through mobile phones and accurately stay on top of the farming work. BDS is now serving as a real "golden key to a good harvest" for farmers. I believe that BDS will continue to support China's precise agricultural development in the future. Thank you.