Chongqing – Chongqing’s Yongchuan and Liangping districts hit a record rice yield of over 800 kilograms per mu using high-yield hybrids with early sowing, dense transplanting, precision fertilization, and other advanced techniques.
On August 10, official tests confirmed record rice yields of 842.44 kilograms per mu in Yongchuan and 830.9 kilograms per mu in Liangping, levels previously seen only in small trial plots.
"This time, multiple sites within large core demonstration areas exceeded 800 kg per mu, which is highly significant," said Fang Likui, head of the Grain and Oil Section at the Chongqing Agricultural Technology Extension Station. "It proves that our integrated high-yield technology, refined over many years, is now ready for large-scale promotion."
An aerial drone photo shows farmers operating machines for pest control at a wheat field in China. (Photo/Xinhua)
Fang said the success came from fertile, well-irrigated land, high-quality seed varieties, and efficient mechanized planting to ensure optimal seedling density. This was combined with careful field management, including adequate base fertilizer, controlled irrigation, and timely topdressing, which together produced larger panicles and more grains.
The fertilization schedule was broken into multiple smaller applications: some at transplantation, then at tillering, and finally at panicle initiation. Each dose was informed by crop demand at that stage, monitored via canopy sensors that assess leaf color, density, and growth momentum. This targeted approach maximized nutrient efficiency and directly contributed to larger panicles with more filled grains.
Drones and precision applicators further reduced overlap and labor, cutting fertilizer waste by about 20–30 percent compared to standard broadcasting methods. Officials estimate that precision fertilization alone contributed over 150 kg/mu of the total yield increase, while early sowing and dense planting brought the overall improvement to more than 300 kg/mu year-on-year.
Just one year prior, average yields in these districts hovered slightly above 500 kg/mu. The leap to over 800 kg demonstrates how modern agronomic science, real-time data, and mechanized precision can transform food production potential. Agricultural authorities now plan to scale up this precision-fertilization–centric model to neighboring regions to replicate the success across Chongqing’s rice belts.
As the city enters its rice harvest season, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reports that more than 9.8 million mu in mid- and low-altitude zones are ready for harvest—about 10 days later than usual this year—with most expected to be completed by the end of August.
By marrying precision agronomy with mechanized scalability, Chongqing is forging a new blueprint for high-yield, high-efficiency, and cost-effective rice farming—one that strengthens local food security and offers a replicable model for rice-growing regions across China and beyond.