China uses AI, satellite data to guide wheat harvest in key grain province

(ECNS) - China's top wheat-producing province is using artificial intelligence and satellite imaging to manage this year's harvest as the country enters its annual summer reaping season.

Henan, where more than 85 million mu (21 million acres) of wheat are planted each year, began harvest operations from south to north after earlier crop maturation in Dengzhou due to weather conditions.

Local officials said AI-powered systems are being used to monitor crop maturity and coordinate harvesting machinery more efficiently.

Li Zhan, director of Dengzhou's smart agriculture center, said satellite remote sensing data and AI algorithms generated real-time wheat maturity maps across 27,000 mu of farmland. The color-coded maps, combined with weather and soil moisture data, allow authorities to notify farmers and machine operators when crops are ready and help plan harvesting routes.

"Previously, farmers relied on visual checks and manual judgment to determine harvest timing," Li said. "Now intelligent systems can monitor conditions more accurately and coordinate machinery resources scientifically."

Separately, Guo Tiancai, an adviser to the agriculture ministry's wheat expert group and a professor at Henan Agricultural University, said Henan's wheat planting area has remained above 85 million mu for years.

(By Zhang Jiahao)