Tongzhou district in Nantong, Jiangsu province is promoting agricultural production and the construction of modern agricultural infrastructure as the spring ploughing season arrives.

Local government departments are focusing on both epidemic prevention and farming in towns and villages. Farmers are being encouraged to resume agricultural production while still protecting themselves from the novel coronavirus.

Relevant departments in Shizhong town, located within the district, where 58,000 mu (3,867 hectares) of wheat is planted, are offering local farmers guidance on fertilization and weed control. Farmers must have their temperature taken and register information as a security precaution.

Those encountering difficulties in transporting and purchasing fertilizers due to the virus outbreak are being helped by local government officials.

Technicians at the district's plant protection station are busy investigating the effects of different herbicides and helping local farmers choose suitable herbicides during for weed control.

The district is striving to guarantee the supply of vegetables and rice amid the epidemic and has adopted intelligent equipment such as drones to aid in spring ploughing.

"Drones are up to 80 times faster than traditional methods, and can reduce the consumption of water and herbicides through precise positioning," said Zhai Yan, manager of a cooperative in Jinbei village, Tongzhou district.

According to the district's bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, over 6,400 agricultural devices have been put into use this year for spring ploughing, and 94 percent of the food production processes are currently being completed with the help of machines.

Technicians at the plant protection station in Tongzhou district, Nantong check on their wheat crops and observe the effects of different herbicides. [Photo/zgnt.net]