A harvester is used to harvest rice in Shenjiao village, Gulin town, Haishu district, Ningbo on Nov 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Rice paddies in Shenjiao village, Gulin town, Haishu district, Ningbo recently entered harvest season. 

The rice in the village was planted using digital agriculture technology such as internet of things and remote sensing of unmanned aerial vehicles.

A digital platform has also been put in place, through which information about pests, meteorology, and soil moisture can be obtained.

This platform has greatly improved the efficiency of agricultural production. It is estimated to reduce labor costs by 10 percent, reduce water usage by 10 percent, reduce fertilization needs by 8 percent, and increase the yield per unit by 2 percent, according to Dai Hongjie, head of the fishery and agricultural mechanization technology management service station in Haishu district.

Preliminary calculations show that the yield of rice paddies in Shenjiao village is about 930 kilograms per mu (666.67 square meters), ranking high within the city. However, accurate data can only be obtained after moisture in the rice has disappeared, which takes one week.