High tech revitalizes ancient practices

CHENGDU — In the heartland of China, near a 4,500-year-old farmland, a team of agricultural scientists is modernizing an ancient practice. They are using big data analytics and artificial intelligence modeling to study and improve the yield of a specific plot of land.

At the experimental field near the Baodun site, where evidence of ancient rice cultivation was found, researchers from Sichuan Agricultural University are using AI-powered models to simulate the results of different hybrid rice varieties.

The modern research method has greatly saved time, unlike the conventional approach, which would require waiting until the harvesting season of a certain rice hybrid, researchers said.