Dragon pattern in the wheat field (Photo/jschina.com.cn)
(ECSN) -- Farmers have created crop art in a wheat field in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing showing two dragons playing with a ball, an auspicious symbol in Chinese culture, but used herbicides to do it.
An aerial view of the field also shows an imposing imperial robe with dragons. Some visitors expressed concern that weed killers were used to turn part of the green wheat yellow.
Local authorities said they had planned to apply precise growing techniques with the aid of GPS mapping to form the colorful patterns, but sowing the wheat was not well-organized, so herbicides were used make the color contrast.
The effort cost 80,000 yuan ($12,300) and farmers received compensation for the wheat destroyed, a source said.
Visitors were generally amazed by the patterns, especially when seen from above. A tourist named Li said the creation could benefit farmers because of the many people it drew to the area.
But others thought it a waste of money to destroy wheat for just a visual effect. The priority for farmers is to grow crops, not fabricate art scenes, the report added.
Song Jian, the local Party chief, said farmers actually earn more from tourism than conventional farming. He also promised to enhance environmental protection during landscaping.
An official from the local bureau of agriculture and forestry said it's up to farmers to decide what brings them the best economic benefit.
