State Grid integrates power big data with agricultural production

On Aug 9, as a heat wave blazed over rice fields in Kongcun village, Ganlin town, Shaoxing city, Zhejiang province, automatic irrigation gates activated precisely according to changes in soil moisture data, while agricultural drones equipped with multispectral devices skimmed over the ridges. Zhang Shen, a post-1995 farmer resting at a pavilion by the field, occasionally checked the updated farmland data on his mobile phone, his face full of expectation for a bumper harvest.

"The older generation relied on experience to water the fields, but now we can check the soil moisture in real time," Zhang said as he picked up the smart sensor in his rice field. "State Grid Shaoxing Power Supply Company has optimized the village's power lines, making it easier for the village to install a precision irrigation system. Our irrigation electricity cost has dropped by nearly 30 percent, and each mu (0.0667 hectare) of land can save more than 200 kWh of electricity a year," he added. This change was made possible through the innovative practice of deep integration of power big data and agricultural production.

From the fields to the branches, rural characteristic industries are also taking on a new lease of life in digital transformation. Huatang village in Jinting town has a history of over 60 years in planting peach-shaped plums. "Now I can manage dozens of mu of orchards alone, with irrigation and fertilization all controlled by digital controllers," said Wang Bing, a fruit grower in Huatang village. The analysis of power big data ensures the efficient and precise operation of the integrated water and fertilizer equipment, which has increased the output of local peach-shaped plums by about 15 percent and significantly improved quality indicators such as sweetness.

Xie Guochun, secretary of the Party branch of Ganlin Power Supply Station under State Grid Shaoxing Power Supply Company, stated that power big data has reached the "nerve endings" of rural governance. "For example, we have deepened the ‘People's Sentiment Diary' in the new era of electricity, conducting regular visits to elderly people living alone within the jurisdiction and building electricity consumption behavior models for them. Once there is abnormal electricity usage, real-time back-end warnings are issued. In addition, the transformation to clean energy is being accelerated for some farm stays and family workshops, by calculating economic and ecological benefits."