Guanxian County, Shandong Province: Technology Transforms Yellow River Old Course from “Barren Sand” to “Fertile Farmland”

In recent years, Guanxian County, Shandong Province has made the water-fertilizer integration technology a pivotal approach to building high-standard farmlands. By addressing shortcomings in agricultural infrastructure, implementing high-efficiency water-saving irrigation projects, and accelerating the construction of high-standard farmlands, the county has enhanced agricultural quality and efficiency, contributing to rural revitalization.

Guanxian County “Micro-sprinkler Irrigation” Water-Fertilizer Integrated Device

In the fields of the Xisha River Forest Farm, the “micro-sprinkler irrigation” water-fertilizer integrated device is actively at work. With just one person operating it, the pre-installed sprinkler system in the fields automatically activates to disperse water into fine droplets that fall onto the land. This not only increases soil moisture but also enhances air humidity, effectively improving the “microclimate” around the farmland. Zhao Bahu, head of the Guanxian County Bahu Fruits and Vegetables Professional Cooperative, explained, “Our forest farm is located in sandy soil, and we’ve fully installed this water-fertilizer integrated device to use the micro-sprinkler irrigation model. The most notable feature of the model is labor-saving; one person can manage six or seven wells, with each well irrigating over ten mu a day, thus covering more than 100 mu with several wells.”

The Xisha River is part of the ancient Yellow River course. For many years, it was a barren, sandy land where nothing grew, known to locals as the sand river. Now, this former Yellow River course has been transformed into fertile, productive land. This transformation benefits from the water-fertilizer integration technology, characterized by water and fertilizer conservation, labor efficiency, and high effectiveness. This technology overcomes issues caused by traditional flood irrigation, such as crop inundation, soil compaction, water wastage, and fertilizer runoff, thereby effectively improving the growing conditions for crops, mitigating pest and disease outbreaks, and promoting modern efficient agriculture.

“According to the current water-fertilizer integrated irrigation model, one worker can irrigate a 130-mu plot in just two days. This method not only saves labor, resources and costs, but also increases overall yields. Calculations show that the annual cost per mu can be reduced by 100 to 150 yuan with an increase in yield of 100 to 200 catties.” Wang Hongzhou, head of the Guanxian County Jinfeng Commune Agricultural Service Co., Ltd., informed reporters that to date, over 18,000 mu of farmland in Guanxian County have adopted this technology, greatly enhancing farming conditions.

“The water-fertilizer integration technology, as a novel method with large-scale applications, has made significant strides in Guanxian County in recent years, particularly in fields like medicinal herbs, yams, peanuts, and especially corn cultivation. This technology not only conserves water and fertilizer but also saves labor and increases efficiency and yield, making it an effective approach for developing green, high-efficiency, and quality agriculture,” Guo Shanxing, a senior agronomist from the Guanxian County Agricultural and Rural Bureau, noted.