At the Zhongken Modern Agriculture Demonstration Park in Shizhong District, Zaozhuang, east China's Shandong Province, smart farming equipment operates efficiently, while colorful flowers and koi fish create a picturesque scene.
The park's 30,000-square-meter intelligent glass greenhouse is the centerpiece of its specialty cultivation operations. Equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring and AI-powered control systems, it automatically regulates temperature, light, water and fertilizer, ensuring year-round production of phalaenopsis orchids.
The greenhouse makes use of industrial waste heat from nearby facilities, combined with a chilled-water circulation system, cutting energy consumption by 60 percent. Its annual flower output reaches 1.5 million plants.
In the aquaculture area, more than 4,000 square meters of standardized fish ponds are neatly laid out. The aquaculture system automatically regulates water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels, while staff can monitor and manage operations remotely via mobile phones.
As the industry becomes more efficient and productive, its benefits for local residents are also growing. The park has established a model bringing together state-owned enterprises, village collectives and local households. State-owned enterprises provide technical and marketing support, while village collectives receive dividends from greenhouse rentals. Under this model, local villagers can earn income by leasing out their farmland and also get employed near their houses.
Integrating specialty crop cultivation, aquaculture and leisure tourism, the agricultural complex is injecting fresh impetus into rural revitalization in Zaozhuang. (Edited by Li Xueqing, lixueqing@xinhua.org)
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