China News Service, Ulanqab, October 4th. Title: The main producing area of "China's Potato Capital" welcomes a bumper harvest: "Four Excellent" potato technologies yield 5.2 tons per mu
China News Service reporter Zhang Linhu
In the golden autumn, potatoes in Siziwang Banner, Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have entered a concentrated harvest period. Relying on the "Four Excellent" intelligent, precise, water-saving and high-efficiency potato cultivation technology, the average yield per mu of demonstration fields reached 5.2 tons, which was about 25% higher than the average yield per mu of traditional irrigation. The yield per mu of small areas reached 5.8 tons, and the average yield per mu was 30%.
The picture shows a potato emerging from the ground. Photo by Zhang Shuyan
Field yield measurement and yield improvement per mu
In the fields of Siziwang Banner, with the roar of machines, golden potatoes burst out of the ground, all plump and round.
This year, Siziwang Banner will build five "Four Excellent" core demonstration areas for intelligent, precise, water-saving and efficient cultivation with a demonstration area of 4,000 acres, and will promote 40,000 acres to seven main potato producing areas in Ulanqab City.
Li Yaping, a model worker in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and head of the Hongyu Potato Planting Professional Cooperative, said that intelligent water-saving equipment realizes scientific, standardized and intelligent management and control of farmland irrigation through intelligent moisture monitoring and precise water and fertilizer supply, effectively solving problems such as waste of water and fertilizer resources, soil compaction, and uneven crop growth in traditional planting.
"The new technology stabilizes the growing environment, making potatoes uniform in appearance and of high quality. It not only increases the overall output, but also enhances the market competitiveness of agricultural products, laying the foundation for farmers and herdsmen to stabilize production and increase income, and to improve the quality and efficiency of the industry." Li Yaping said.
"Four Excellent" Integration, Accurate Water and Fertilizer
Siziwang Banner is located at the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain. The climate and soil conditions are suitable for potato cultivation. It is the main producing area of "China's Potato Capital". The potato industry is the core characteristic industry of the local agricultural economy and farmers' income. However, the north is arid and rainless, and water resources are scarce. Traditional large-water irrigation and empirical management have long-term problems such as water waste, water and fertilizer imbalances, and unstable production capacity. They not only increase planting costs, but also limit industrial scale and high-quality development.
In response to these problems, the three-level agricultural technology promotion centers of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ulanqab City, and Siziwang Banner have jointly made efforts. Based on the planting characteristics of the northern dryland area, after two years of field trials, technical debugging, and optimization integration, a "four-optimal" intelligent, precise, water-saving, and efficient cultivation technology system for potatoes that adapts to local water, soil, and climate conditions has been formed. The scientific research team has been rooted in the field for a long time, carrying out data monitoring, technical debugging, problem rectification, and accumulating localized planting experience.
Chen Ruiying, deputy director of the Agricultural Technology Service Center of the Siziwang Banner Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Science and Technology Bureau, said that the "four excellences" include optimization of variety structure, optimization of planting patterns, optimization of drip irrigation facilities, and optimization of water and fertilizer management.
"In terms of varieties, we select new potato varieties that are suitable for the local environment, have strong disease resistance, high yield and high quality; in terms of planting, we promote intensive, standardized and standardized planting; in terms of facilities, we are equipped with intelligent and precise drip irrigation equipment to achieve on-demand water supply and precise water control; in terms of water and fertilizer management, we rely on intelligent monitoring systems for precise proportioning and regular and quantitative supply." Chen Ruiying said that the four major optimization efforts are coordinated to increase efficiency in five aspects: increasing production, saving water, controlling fertilizer, improving quality, and being green.
The picture shows Li Yaping (left) and Li Huicheng inspecting potatoes. Photo by Zhang Shuyan
Demonstration and promotion, radiation expansion
In 2024, Hongyu Potato Planting Professional Cooperative will take the lead in applying this new technology, integrating digital management and intelligent water and fertilizer control into water-saving irrigation planting, achieving a leap from manual operation to intelligent application. Since then, the "Intelligent Precision Water and Fertilizer All-in-one Machine and Control System" has been selected as a new device in the 2025 "Six New" achievements of the Inner Mongolia Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, and the integrated "Four Excellent Intelligent Precision Water-Saving and Efficient Potato Cultivation Technology" was released and recommended at the 2025 Scientific and Technological Achievements Recommendation Meeting of the Inner Mongolia Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.
"With the Siziwang Banner demonstration area as the origin of radiation, the mature technology model has been extended to cover the seven main potato producing areas in Ulanqab City, with the city's total radiation promotion area reaching 40,000 acres." Li Huicheng, a senior agronomist at the Ulanqab City Agricultural Technology Service Extension Center, introduced that through the development model of "pilot demonstration, point-to-point coverage, and all-area popularization", the regional potato planting system has gradually been reformed, and the standardization and intelligence level of the city's characteristic agriculture have been improved.
Du Haibo, deputy chief of Siziwang Banner, said that the local government will continue to deepen the demonstration, promotion, optimization and upgrading of the "Four Excellent" intelligent precision water-saving potato cultivation technology, improve the technical supporting system, amplify the empowering effect of scientific innovation, and continue to strengthen and optimize the leading potato industry. "At the same time, we adhere to the concept of ecological priority and green development, continue to promote water-saving, efficient, green and low-carbon modern farming models, and steadily promote the high-quality development of modern agriculture in a standardized, smart, and green manner." (End)
