On August 11, a panel of experts organized by the Dazhou City Agricultural and Rural Bureau conducted a yield assessment on a 1,000-mu demonstration plot of high-yield corn in Xuanhan County, part of the "Sichuan Granary: Hundred Counties, Thousand Fields" initiative, with the result reaching an impressive 901.6 kg per mu.
This marks the second consecutive year that the low-altitude mountain corn high-yield trial field in Xuanhan County has surpassed 900 kg per mu, exceeding the local average corn yield of 540.2 kg per mu by 66.9%. The success has provided a practical field management guide for significantly increasing per-unit yields across larger areas.
The demonstration plot, located in Shagou Village, Wubao Town, covers an area of 1,020 mu. For the yield measurement, a corn kernel harvester was used to harvest 11.44 mu, yielding a fresh weight of 13,240.1 kg. After deducting impurities and moisture, the adjusted yield was calculated at 901.6 kg per mu.
The sustained high yield of the test field is not surprising. Fengcheng Town in Xuanhan County is the birthplace of the "Fengcheng Experience," a record-setting high-yield corn production method for Southwest China's mountainous regions. Corn cultivation experts from the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences have been conducting research here for over 30 years. In 2025, the core area of the 1,000-mu high-yield corn demonstration plot in Fengcheng Town recorded an average yield of 1,201.1 kg per mu, continuing to lead in the high-altitude mountains of the Sichuan Basin's peripheral areas.
To adapt the "Fengcheng Experience" for lower altitudes and transform "expert yields" into widespread field production, Xuanhan County relocated its high-yield corn trial from the 1,100-meter altitude mountainous area of Fengcheng Town to the flat basin area of Tiansheng Town, at an elevation of just over 400 meters, last year. That 1,000-mu demonstration plot achieved an average yield of 909.5 kg per mu, showing strong performance.
This year, to further test the suitability of the high-yield technology and meet the requirements of rolling development for demonstration plots, Xuanhan County chose Shagou Village in Wubao Town to conduct low-altitude mountain corn high-yield trials. The selection of Shagou Village was based on its representative land characteristics. Liu Hairui, head of the Xuanhan County Agricultural Technology Extension Station, explained that Tiansheng Town's Xinya Village represents the shallow hills and flat basin conditions of central and western Xuanhan County, while Shagou Village in Wubao Town represents the planting conditions of over ten mountainous townships in the eastern part of the county.
The Shagou Village plot, at an elevation of about 360 meters, is situated in an open area within surrounding mountains, adjacent to a river, offering favorable sunlight and water access. The high-yield technology employed in the Shagou Village corn demonstration plot includes core practices such as "dense planting with mechanical sowing, heavy base fertilization, mechanical pest control, one-spray multi-promotion, and timely mechanical harvesting." The selected variety was Chengtan 716, with a planting density of approximately 4,200 plants per mu. While this density is lower than the 6,500 plants per mu in Fengcheng Town, it is about 1,000 plants higher than local farmers' customary planting habits. With full guidance from local agricultural experts, the per-unit yield improvement was significant.
Liu Hairui noted that although the yield of 901.6 kg per mu is slightly lower than last year's, achieving this result was challenging. "This season's corn faced heavy rainfall early on and drought later. We had to take comprehensive measures, including drought-resistant irrigation, to secure this high yield," he said. He added that the cornfield will next be planted with potatoes to create a "corn + potato" annual ton-grain field, and high-yield corn trials in low-altitude mountainous areas will continue next year.
Ran Bo, the 37-year-old operator of the 1,000-mu corn demonstration plot in Shagou Village, is in his first year of returning to his hometown for grain farming. He stated that agricultural experts frequently visited to provide guidance, allowing him to learn many techniques. "There is a science to every stage—what fertilizer to apply, what pesticides to spray, and the right dosages," he said. Achieving a high yield in his first year of grain farming has greatly boosted Ran Bo's confidence. He plans to plant potatoes in late August and aims to lease more land next year to increase his income further.