Ecological farm, the “green card” of agricultural development

Ecological farms are agricultural production and operation entities that are based on ecological principles and follow the principles of integrity, coordination, circulation, regeneration, and diversity. Through overall design and reasonable construction, they achieve maximum sustainable output while achieving resource matching, environmental friendliness, and food safety. my country attaches great importance to the construction and development of ecological farms. The "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Construction of Ecological Farms" issued in 2022 proposed that by 2025, through scientific evaluation, follow-up monitoring, and guidance services, 1,000 national-level ecological farms will be built across the country, driving the construction of 10,000 local ecological farms in various provinces.

Ecological farms are the basic units for green agricultural development, pollution prevention and control, emission reduction and carbon fixation. They follow the laws of ecological balance, develop and utilize agricultural natural resources under the principle of sustainable utilization, carry out multi-level, three-dimensional, circular agricultural production, expand the multifunctionality of modern ecological agriculture, and enable energy and material flow to form a virtuous cycle in the ecosystem, thus realizing the organic combination of humans, animals, plants, microorganisms and the natural environment, and establishing a new mechanism for the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.

Ecological farms are supported by advanced modern ecological agricultural technology, and absorb the dual essence of my country's traditional agriculture and modern science and technology. They have the following basic characteristics: First, ecological farms are guided by ecological principles. Second, ecological farms are regulated by systematic methods. Third, ecological farms are constrained by economic laws. Fourth, ecological farms are expanding in a multifunctional direction.

Villagers working on an ecological farm in Wulidun Village, Cao County, Shandong Province

At present, the construction of ecological farms in my country has achieved remarkable results, with a total of 431 outstanding entities nationwide being awarded the title of national ecological farms. For example, the "ecological unmanned farm" smart agricultural base of Shanxi University of Science and Technology uses satellite remote sensing, big data, 5G and other advanced technologies to collect and process all-round information. Irrigation, fertilization and drug application are all performed automatically by unmanned agricultural machinery. The participation of intelligent equipment allows people to control the "field" in the "house". In the air, satellites are used to obtain various farmland remote sensing information, and drones are used to carry hyperspectral and multi-spectral analyzers to monitor the growth of crops in real time; on the ground, unmanned meteorological stations monitor air temperature and humidity, light intensity, precipitation and other information in real time; underground, multiple intelligent soil moisture sensors are deployed to understand soil moisture and soil composition at any time... Agricultural information is obtained through the integration of sky, air and ground, and intelligent agricultural robots and agricultural equipment are used for collaborative operations to carry out precise production, visual management and intelligent decision-making of ecological farms. Ecological farms help to achieve efficient energy conversion, multi-level utilization of materials, and recycling of "waste", and the benefits generated are unmatched by any other form of production organization.

Good ecology brings good prospects for high-quality life, and the diversified value of ecological farms is increasingly prominent. Promoting the construction of ecological farms and playing the "green card" is an important measure to promote the construction of rural ecological civilization and an effective way to explore agricultural modernization.

Review expert: Gao Zhiling, Professor of College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University

China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Xinhuanet

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