Tech to play growing role in agriculture

Guidelines detail key importance of innovation in developing farming

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has issued new guidelines outlining 10 key areas for agricultural technology innovation from 2024 to 2028, focusing on breeding new crop varieties, improving arable land quality, developing green and low-carbon agriculture and promoting rural development.

The guidelines call for the development of rapid soil testing technologies to support smart agriculture, alongside a digital soil information system, a multidimensional soil monitoring network, and farmland evaluation and early warning platforms.

Innovation in green and low-carbon agriculture should focus on controlling agricultural non-point source pollution, advancing climate-adaptive farming and promoting ecological circular agriculture, the document states.