Golden harvest made possible through smart agriculture

In the western stretch of Chengnan Road in Rougu town, Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Industries Demonstration Zone, Shaanxi province, golden fields spread across the Yangling Liangke smart agriculture demonstration base as the summer wheat harvest kicks into gear.

As a national-level trial site for seed breeding, production, and promotion, the base conducts variety trials and cultivates quality seeds. It incorporates cutting-edge agricultural technologies such as smart greenhouse breeding, integrated water and fertilizer irrigation, 5G-enabled internet-of-things field monitoring, and automated farm machinery. These all optimize the process of smart cultivation for top-notch seed development and field management.

Smart agriculture requires a reliable and stable power supply, as voltage fluctuations can disrupt greenhouse temperature controls and field monitoring systems, hindering seed cultivation progress. To meet these power needs, State Grid Xianyang Yangling Power Supply utilizes the "Unified Map for the Power Grid" along with big data analysis to assess loads and pinpoint potential risks in the distribution lines. This ensures optimal conditions for the base's power supply network, providing strong energy support for modern agricultural seed breeding and high-yield summer harvesting.

To help customers eliminate safety risks and improve hazard assessment accuracy, the company set up an artificial intelligence-driven inspection system at the end of 2024. This system will use drones equipped with visible-light cameras, infrared thermal imaging, and onboard sensors to gather real-time operational data. This data is analyzed using AI algorithms for precise fault diagnosis, enabling early detection and the resolution of potential equipment issues. The system will aid proactive maintenance, shifting from reactive problem-solving to anticipatory defect elimination.

Data from early 2026 highlighted achievements in wheat-breeding innovation at the Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Industries Demonstration Zone. Local wheat varieties such as Xinong 511, Weilong 169, Xiwan 151, and the Liangke series have been promoted nationwide, covering 1.61 million hectares over the past three years.

Notably, 53 percent of the high-quality commercial wheat seeds planted across Shaanxi province originated from Yangling-bred varieties. These premium seeds have increased average incomes by 196 yuan ($29) per 0.06 hectares. This has contributed over 4.74 billion yuan in additional income annually for agricultural producers. With the establishment of national laboratories and provincial seed industry platforms, construction for supporting facilities like breeding labs, seed processing units, and smart irrigation systems has accelerated, boosting energy demand and reliability requirements in the region.

In Rougu town, the load rate of the well zone's distribution transformers jumped from below 32 percent in early April to 74 percent in early June. During this period, Tuo Lang, an employee at State Grid Xianyang Yangling Power Supply, logged into the power supply service command system and received an early warning of rapidly increasing transformer load. Using this alert, the company developed a scientific load-restructuring plan to redistribute some of the load to neighboring areas with lower utilization rates. This prevented overloading, ensuring stable and reliable power supply for agricultural activities.

Dubbed the "sentinel" of the distribution network, this predictive load monitoring system provides valuable intelligence that supports "rear-line reinforcements". In March, the power company enhanced its capabilities by deploying a centralized feeder automation function on two cable circuits via its distribution automation master station. This system reduces fault recovery times in non-faulty sections of the grid to mere minutes, cutting fault duration by 70 percent year-over-year. This improves supply reliability, equipment diagnostic accuracy, and operational efficiency, paving the way for digital and intelligent upgrades to the regional power distribution system.

Currently, the Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Industries Demonstration Zone boasts 7,467 hectares of high-standard farmland, accounting for 85 percent of its total arable land. As an early adopter of high-standard farmland transformation, Yangling enjoys modernized agricultural production. In recent years, the region has promoted agricultural mechanization, deploying 338 machines to ensure timely harvesting. During the harvest season, fields hum with activity as machinery operates seamlessly, completing both harvesting and threshing tasks simultaneously.

Shi Yongan, a farmer in Shijia village, said that compared to traditional grain-harvesting methods, high-standard farmland operations save labor and effort while improving efficiency. Moreover, by minimizing unnecessary movements, these machines lower energy consumption and reduce wear and tear.

In March, State Grid Xianyang Yangling Power Supply launched multiple application scenarios to enhance quality and efficiency. These included advancing research into key functions such as the "Golden Three Minutes" fault alerts for 0.4-kilovolt networks, seamless identification of transformer area topology, and real-time low-voltage monitoring using HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) dual-mode technology.

By consolidating multidimensional data—ranging from customer usage and transformer performance to power quality, leakage, and photovoltaic charging stations—the company continues to drive the digitalization of its single map for a multidimensional and multiscenario power grid.

Chen Mingtao, director of the Rougu Power Supply Station, said: "With the electricity information collection system, we can monitor real-time usage data to address issues such as voltage fluctuations or imbalances in three-phase currents. We can leverage big data from the unified grid to profile farmers' electricity usage, promptly analyze and identify fault causes, and quickly address potential safety hazards."

The company has also employed digital tools, such as drone inspections and low-voltage alarm systems, to detect and address potential risks, thereby safeguarding the electricity usage of farmers across the region.