In the heart of summer, the expansive cornfields of Tiaobingshan City in Liaoning Province present a striking sight. Rows of tall, verdant corn stand in uniform patterns of wide and narrow rows, with drip irrigation lines neatly laid out like capillaries across the land. This scene marks a profound shift away from the historical challenges of spring planting in northern Liaoning, where farmers were once at the mercy of the rain. Since launching its corn yield enhancement project in 2025, Tiaobingshan has been steadfastly implementing the strategy of storing grain in the land and through technology. By focusing on the integration of precise water-fertilizer regulation and high-density planting techniques, and making continuous efforts to address infrastructure gaps, optimize construction methods, and solidify responsibilities, the city has developed a replicable and scalable model known as the "Northern Liaoning Tiaobingshan Model." This year, drip irrigation networks have achieved full coverage across 50,000 mu of land, with total grain output expected to reach a new high, contributing significantly to the foundation of national food security.

The transformation from "racing against the rain" to "demanding grain from technology" involved cleverly solving the sequential challenges of spring planting. Du Zhenjiang, Party branch secretary of Qianhoutun Village in Xiaoming Town and head of the Shunqi Planting and Breeding Family Farm, has extensive experience in corn cultivation. In the past, his biggest worry was spring fieldwork. After the Qingming Festival in northern Liaoning, frequent rainfall often left fields muddy and difficult to access, easily delaying crucial farming schedules. Du Zhenjiang recalled that during the implementation phase of the 2025 yield project, continuous spring rains delayed the laying of drip irrigation pipes in some plots, nearly missing the critical spring planting window. To tackle the conflict between early spring construction and the tight spring planting schedule, the Tiaobingshan municipal government prioritized resolving this issue this year. Multiple special promotion meetings were held, with responsible officials organizing field surveys with agricultural departments and township governments to identify and address bottlenecks in labor, material supply, and land transfer, establishing a problem ledger with deadlines for resolution.

The technical team from the city's Agricultural Development Service Center introduced an innovative "post-seeding drip tape laying" model. This approach departed from the traditional method of laying pipes during sowing. Instead, they first seized the optimal farming window to complete sowing, ensuring planted area, and then laid the drip irrigation tapes when field conditions were suitable. This seemingly "reverse" operation effectively avoided the problematic window of early spring rains and low soil temperatures, alleviating time pressure and putting the initiative for timely spring planting and project implementation back in farmers' hands. "This year, I feel much more at ease," said Du Zhenjiang. His 4,000 mu of contracted land, with sufficient initial soil moisture, all used the post-seeding method. "There was no delay in the farming schedule. The seedlings are uniform and robust, and the corn is already about 1.5 meters tall." He also praised the promotion of wide-narrow row planting and Beidou navigation for precise land preparation. "Before, corn rows were evenly spaced. Now, we alternate between wide and narrow rows, which improves ventilation and light penetration. The plant density has increased from about 4,000 to 5,500-6,000 plants per mu," he explained. "Land prepared with navigation creates perfectly straight ridges, and sowing on these large ridges results in even seedling emergence." The combination of this large-ridge, double-row dense planting technique with precise drip irrigation water-fertilizer control forms the core technical support of the "Northern Liaoning Tiaobingshan Model."

Government leadership was evident not only in technical direction. To ensure the high-quality completion of the 50,000-mu pipe-laying task on schedule, the city established a responsibility system involving county, township, and third-party project entities. During construction, leaders at all levels conducted regular field supervision, closely monitoring progress and quality. Mobile intelligent water-fertilizer regulation platforms and field water distribution networks were deployed simultaneously to guarantee timely project completion. Through this comprehensive approach, Tiaobingshan expanded the project area from the initial 15,000 mu explored in 2025 to 50,000 mu in 2026. It became the first area in Liaoning's high-rainfall regions to initiate and complete the project. Bai Chenhui, member of the Tiaobingshan Municipal Standing Committee and Vice Mayor, stated, "We have overcome numerous difficulties and successfully explored the 'Northern Liaoning Tiaobingshan Model' for yield enhancement. This proves with practical action that the high-density, precise regulation high-yield technology model is feasible in our province's high-rainfall areas, accumulating valuable experience and providing a concrete technical solution for provincial yield improvement. The project has produced several 'ton-per-mu' fields and set a new historical high-yield record for regions outside western Liaoning with better light and heat resources, receiving full recognition from higher authorities and local cadres and farmers."

Bai Chenhui noted that the project has helped farmers achieve breakthroughs on already high yield bases, increasing average yield by over 300 jin per mu. Furthermore, it has established infrastructure, equipped facilities, and imparted technology, enhancing long-term disaster prevention and comprehensive grain production capacity, thereby solidifying the political responsibility of safeguarding national food security.

From Pilot Plots to Demonstration Fields

The most effective promotion of any technology ultimately requires farmer acceptance. Tiaobingshan's method was straightforward: let the yield increase numbers speak for themselves. In 2025, Du Zhenjiang's 586-mu experimental plot used integrated water-fertilizer technology for the first time, and the results caught the attention of the whole village. Provincial expert field measurements recorded a maximum yield of 1,210.13 kilograms per mu, setting a new historical record for corn yield in regions outside western Liaoning. "Before, we used a 'one-time blast' fertilization method and left it after planting, with yields around 900 kilograms per mu," Du Zhenjiang said. "The new method is different. During the jointing, big flare, pollination, and grain-filling stages, whenever the crop lacks nutrients or water, we turn on the drip irrigation, delivering water and fertilizer directly to the roots. The corn is well-fed and grows strong." Last autumn, he won the city's project implementation first prize with this experimental plot, receiving a beef cattle as a reward. This tangible increase in income and honor made a strong impression on surrounding farmers.

Zhang Xu, a major grain grower in Qiangu Shanzi Village, Xiaonan Town, also adopted drip irrigation, integrated water-fertilizer, and wide-narrow row dense planting on 1,650 mu in 2025. Expert measurements showed a yield of 946 kilograms per mu on the demonstration plot. "Last year's yield increased by over 300 jin per mu, meaning an extra 300 yuan per mu, giving us a real income boost," Zhang Xu said. This year, he expanded the application area to 2,430 mu and helped promote the technology on over 3,000 mu among neighboring farmers. Once farmers tasted success, technology promotion gained momentum. Tiaobingshan's agricultural departments conducted multi-level technical training and field observations, organizing major growers to learn from experiences in Fuxin and Chaoyang, and observe advanced practices in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. Large-scale field observation meetings were held locally, with small-scale field guidance becoming routine. Experts from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Shenyang Agricultural University frequently provided on-site guidance. Tiaobingshan also signed a technical service contract with the Corn Research Institute of Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences for comprehensive professional guidance, from model construction and variety selection to density control and water-fertilizer ratios, teaching farmers hands-on.

Xiao Wanxin, Deputy Director of the Corn Research Institute at Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences and a member of the provincial yield enhancement expert group, explained, "Addressing the issue of waterlogging in northern Liaoning causing yield reduction in later corn growth stages, our research proposed replacing flat planting with ridge cultivation. By planting two rows of corn on ridges, we avoid root flooding. Inter-ridge cultivation improves field drainage, and combined with later-stage precise water-fertilizer regulation, boosts overall yield. With the active cooperation of the Tiaobingshan government, relevant departments, and farmers, this model has been rapidly promoted with significant results." Zhang Xu was deeply impressed: "Experts from the city agricultural center come at least once a week. Through this project, provincial experts also frequently visit our fields to teach us—hands-on—when and how much fertilizer to apply, and how to connect and maintain the equipment." The yields witnessed firsthand by farmers became the most powerful "promoters" for the corn yield enhancement project.

Ensuring Sustainable Use Beyond Construction

Laying the drip irrigation pipes and installing the equipment was just the first step. Ensuring these facilities continue to enhance yield and avoid a "rebuild over maintenance" mentality became a new challenge Tiaobingshan focused on this year. Du Zhenjiang expanded his pipe-laying area from 586 mu last year to 4,000 mu this year, covering almost the entire village. "With a larger area, maintenance tasks are heavier," he said. "The drip tapes for 4,000 mu require careful management." To address farmers' concerns, after pipeline installation, Tiaobingshan promptly organized third-party project technicians and agricultural center staff to visit implementation sites, coaching farmers on equipment operation and daily maintenance. "They taught us in great detail how to adjust pressure at the water-fertilizer integration pump station and how to prevent aging when storing drip tapes," Du Zhenjiang noted.

Addressing practical issues like varying soil fertility in mountainous plots and insufficient machinery for small-scale farmers, Tiaobingshan's agricultural departments are developing differentiated water-fertilier management plans and guiding farmers to introduce suitable small-scale machinery, along with specialized practical training. Beyond long-term maintenance, Tiaobingshan is planning deeper promotion. The municipal government explicitly stated the need to systematically compile experiences from the entire 2025-2026 project implementation process, solidify the technical system of "full-coverage drip irrigation + post-seeding pipe laying + wide-ridge dense planting" into standardized implementation experience, providing support for large-scale application in high-rainfall areas of Liaoning Province. It is reported that since last year, the Liaoning Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Tieling City Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have organized multiple observation and study tours from other regions to Tiaobingshan, promoting the learning and adaptation of the "Northern Liaoning Tiaobingshan Model" in high-rainfall areas.

"Judging by this year's growth, barring major natural disasters, achieving over a ton per mu shouldn't be a problem," Du Zhenjiang said. "Tiaobingshan has introduced a local policy insurance for yield enhancement, with the government subsidizing premiums. If farmers implement the project according to technical requirements and the yield increase is less than 300 jin per mu, the insurance company compensates up to 300 yuan. This gives us farmers a 'reassurance pill,' making us feel more secure." He Tao, Director of the Tiaobingshan Agricultural Development Service Center, stated that they will continue to deepen cooperation with national and provincial expert teams, create more ton-per-mu demonstration plots, continuously explore corn yield potential, steadily improve regional comprehensive grain production capacity, firmly safeguard food security, expand farmers' income channels, and ensure the high-quality completion of all established goals and tasks for the corn yield enhancement project.