In the midst of midsummer, the fertile fields of Hulunbuir are carpeted in green, a critical period for field management of corn crops. Within the integrated water and fertilizer demonstration plot in Liangfangliu Village, Xiangyangyu Town, Arun Banner, the young corn plants are growing robustly, lush, and upright. Smart drip irrigation equipment precisely delivers water and nutrients, transforming the traditional, extensive flood irrigation method and presenting a new vision of modern agriculture where technology aids farmers and fields are managed with precision. This year, Hulunbuir City is focusing on increasing grain yield per unit area, deepening the integration of "improved seeds, improved methods, improved machinery, and improved farmland," and promoting the precise drip irrigation technology of integrated water and fertilizer management across one million mu of land. This initiative aims to unlock the yield potential of the black soil through modern agricultural technology, laying a solid foundation for increased agricultural efficiency, higher farmer incomes, and stable grain production.

In recent years, Hulunbuir City has continuously promoted the transformation and upgrading of traditional agriculture. Relying on the efficient integrated water and fertilizer cultivation model, it has precisely addressed production challenges such as extensive irrigation, water and fertilizer waste, and insufficient soil fertility, comprehensively enhancing the scientific management level of farmland. This year, the city has consolidated various agricultural project resources, focusing on grain and oil crops like corn, soybeans, millet, and rapeseed, while also considering economic crops like sugar beets and vegetables, to scale up the promotion of precise drip irrigation technology. Through demonstration leadership and radiating influence, it aims to steadily improve the comprehensive production capacity of cultivated land.

As a demonstration area, the Arun Banner Tiancheng Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Professional Cooperative has fully applied the integrated water and fertilizer technology across 9,500 mu of transferred farmland. Simultaneously, 18 standardized water storage tanks have been constructed, each with a capacity of 1,000 cubic meters, effectively addressing the water supply shortfall for large-scale planting and providing a stable water source guarantee for precise drip irrigation and scientific fertilizer supplementation. Routine deep plowing, loosening, and inter-row cultivation are conducted in the fields to break up soil compaction, loosen the topsoil layer, improve soil aeration, and help corn roots grow deep and strong.

"Integrated water and fertilizer allows for on-demand water and nutrient supplementation, ensuring balanced growth throughout the cycle, full grain filling, and more stable seedling conditions," explained Qiu Liping, head of the cooperative's machinery team. With multiple precise drip irrigation and fertilizer applications during the crop growth period, the supply of water and nutrients is sufficient and balanced. Compared to traditional planting methods, corn yield per mu can increase by 200 to 500 kilograms, highlighting significant advantages for stable production and increased income.

The effective implementation of the technology relies on professional guidance for support. Agricultural technicians from Arun Banner regularly work in the fields, dynamically adjusting the water-fertilizer ratio and application frequency based on soil moisture and crop growth, meticulously implementing field management measures. Gao Lidan, a senior agronomist at the Arun Banner Agricultural Development Center, explained that corn is currently in the critical three-leaf stage. Scientific inter-row cultivation will be used to dissipate moisture and raise soil temperature. The first drip fertilization operation will commence when the corn enters the jointing stage, with 5 to 6 separate drip fertilization management sessions conducted throughout the entire growth period. This transforms the traditional single top-dressing into multiple precise applications, significantly improving the utilization rate of water and fertilizer, with the goal of achieving a corn yield exceeding one ton per mu in the demonstration fields.

Technology nurtures fertile fields, and precise management promotes bountiful harvests. Relying on the integrated development model of the "four improvements," and through the demonstration and promotion of new varieties, new equipment, and new technologies, the city continues to enhance farmland's disaster prevention and resilience capabilities and its comprehensive production capacity, constantly activating the yield potential of the black soil. This injects strong momentum into the large-scale increase in yield per unit area for grain and oil crops across the city and the high-quality development of modern agriculture.