A drone is used for pest control at the modern agricultural industrial park in Daishan county, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province.

This area was once idle saline-alkali land, but it was transformed into fertile fields and an industrial park through land reclamation and agricultural mechanization.

Lying on the East China Sea, Daishan was traditionally a salt-producing area with limited arable land. Market reforms in the salt industry and an aging population have diminished the advantages of traditional sea salt production, leaving many salt fields idle.

In 2017, a project to convert the Daixi Town Huojian Salt Field into arable land was launched. Initially, the project faced challenges due to high salinity levels in some areas, compact soil structure, and limited water resources on the island.

Technologies are used in the modern agricultural industrial park in Daishan county.  [Photo/Tide News]

The technical team addressed the issue of accumulated salt in the topsoil with the support of technologies like Internet of Things and big data. Projects like low-pressure pipeline irrigation and low-cost desalination helped overcome limited water resources.

After years of effort, the former salt field has been transformed into modern farms, with once-barren land now having high yields. The park has achieved efficient management using modern agricultural technology.

The park boasts over 20 units of agricultural machinery worth over 200,000 yuan ($27,500) each, including unmanned tractors and drones. It also features a 10,000-square-meter automated vegetable nursery, a 10,000-sq-m smart glass greenhouse, and 100,000-sq-m connected greenhouses.