China: Technological innovation advances with potato seed production in the northwest

Thanks to technological innovation, Gansu’s agricultural facilities have developed rapidly, enabling the vegetable industry to consistently supply fresh produce throughout the year.

Located in the heart of the Loess Plateau, Dingxi enjoys a cool climate, ideal for agriculture. In recent years, the city has boosted agricultural development through technological innovation, adopting smart farming practices and moving beyond traditional, weather-dependent methods.

Currently, the city boasts 14 intensive smart seedling bases, in addition to 1,265 standardized greenhouses and steel-framed sheds equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Integrated water and fertilizer systems, along with 5G environmental control technology, are already fully operational, providing precise, real-time monitoring of temperature, light, water, and nutrients to optimize crop growth.

The 2025 Central Conference on Rural Work called for research and advancements in fundamental agricultural technologies across key fields, as well as the efficient application of scientific and technological achievements, developing new, high-quality productive forces in agriculture tailored to local conditions. This vision has become a key element of Gansu’s strategy to foster new agricultural production capacity.

At the Dingxi Potato Research Institute, smart greenhouses automate the entire potato seed production process, including fertilization, irrigation, and real-time growth monitoring, all with a single click. This technological advancement has transformed the institute into a standardized base for potato seed production and export in China.

Li Jinfu, director of the Dingxi Potato Research Institute, stated that the institute annually produces 60 million virus-free test-tube potato seedlings, along with nearly 120 million seed potatoes. These potatoes are not only sold throughout China but also exported to countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, facilitating the development of profitable specialized agriculture.

The development of new agricultural productivity is improving the livelihoods of the population. Li Ru, a 56-year-old farmer from Chenjiawa Village in Anding County, has dedicated his life to potato farming.

He has witnessed the remarkable transformation of farming practices. Farm machinery now completes in an hour what once took a whole day, plastic mulch film helps retain moisture and improve quality, and drought-resistant crop varieties maintain stable yields while increasing farmers’ incomes. The hardships of past subsistence farming have given way to the ease and abundance of technology-driven prosperity.

New agricultural productivity driven by technological innovation is redefining the development of modern agriculture in Gansu. Previously, traditional farming relied on experience, manual labor, and animal power, but it has now been replaced by a digital and intelligent model.

Gansu Province State Farm Group Co., Ltd., the province’s largest modern agricultural enterprise, has been promoting new technologies and equipment while developing smart farming demonstration zones.

During spring planting and autumn harvesting, high-tech production is commonplace on the company’s farms. Driverless tractors equipped with the BeiDou satellite navigation system draw crisp lines across the fields, and fleets of drones fly over vast fields, spraying atomized fertilizers evenly over the crops. With the support of these high-tech devices, farming efficiency is now more than five times greater than with traditional methods.

In Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, a 200,000-square-meter rose "superfactory" demonstrates the power of technology. The agricultural park, which began operations in 2022, integrates advanced technologies such as digital control, soilless cultivation, and post-harvest pre-cooling for fresh-cut roses, ensuring year-round rose blooms. Annual production of fresh-cut roses exceeds 72 million stems.

Zhang Yongyou, general manager of Linxia Yinong Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Investment Co., Ltd., said the company has successfully brought its fresh-cut roses to domestic and international markets.

By 2025, the company plans to export 5.69 million stems to Kazakhstan, Russia, and other countries, generating sales of over 8.37 million yuan. The company also provides 500 stable jobs, with an average annual income of 45,000 yuan (about US$6,427) per employee, thus contributing to local rural revitalization.

In the vast Hexi Corridor, a key artery of the ancient Silk Road, winter fallow fields are acquiring new value thanks to the cultivation of innovative agricultural products.

Sun Wancang, a professor at Gansu Agricultural University, has developed an extremely cold-hardy winter rapeseed variety capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -32°C. This variety is gradually expanding northward, allowing rapeseed, which previously could not survive the winter, to take root in the Hexi Corridor.

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At experimental bases in cities such as Wuwei and Jiuquan, winter rapeseed is boosting cereal and oil production while reducing sources of dust storms, generating both economic and ecological benefits.

The rapid development of new agricultural productivity is also supported by policies and project funding. During China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, Gansu increased investment in agricultural science and technology, implementing advancements in the seed industry and technological support projects.

One hundred and twenty-nine key technologies have been developed to improve grain yield per unit area, and a special fund for agricultural machinery and equipment R&D has been established. Backed by four years of central and provincial financial support totaling 250 million yuan, these initiatives are strongly driving agricultural technological advancements.

According to Sun, the shift from traditional agriculture to smart agriculture is significantly boosting agricultural development through the cultivation of new agricultural productivity.