Blueberry smart greenhouses in Ordos' desert. [Photo/Inner Mongolia news network]

In October, 29 modern smart greenhouses at the blueberry planting base in Dalad Banner's Engebei Ecological Demonstration Zone, Ordos city, are filled with lush greenery.

Here, in the heart of the Kubuqi Desert, blueberries are thriving – harboring the "wealth code" of the upcoming Spring Festival fruit market.

Covering 309.4 mu ( 20.63 hectares), the base is part of the Engebei Desert Blueberry Cultivation Science and Technology Demonstration Project, launched by Inner Mongolia Jiashi Agricultural Technology Development Co. With a total investment of about 55 million yuan ($7.45 million), the project's annual blueberry output is expected to reach 260,000 kilograms.

"This year, we plan to plant 60,000 blueberry bushes," said Qian Jun, the company's general manager.

Qian stated that each plant is expected to yield about 3.5 kilograms in the first year, and 5 to 8 kilograms in the second.

Farmers trim blueberry branches to ensure healthy growth. [Photo/Inner Mongolia news network]

His company will provide high-quality blueberries, employ local farmers and herders for harvesting, and guide them in demonstration planting to help increase their income.

"The current crop is growing well and is expected to bear fruit around Spring Festival, with an estimated annual income of about 10 million yuan." Qian added.

To ensure successful cultivation in desert conditions, the facility maintains a fully controlled production environment using advanced technologies such as automated digital systems, environmental control, and integrated water and fertilizer management. The level of automation has reached 60 percent, while water and fertilizer efficiency has improved by 60 percent to 90 percent.

Through full-chain management – from cultivation, sorting, storage, and packaging to transport and sales – the project has achieved a digitalized, standardized, industrialized, and commercialized model of modern desert agriculture.

Blueberry plant's growth data is monitored through an app. [Photo/Inner Mongolia news network]