Xifeng plans to improve corn planting

With spring in full swing, farming activities are gaining momentum across Xifeng county. In Dalin village of Qingshan Miao township, rotary tillers have been operating across the fields in the county's 500-mu (33 hectares) core demonstration zone for the 2026 green, high-yield, and high-efficiency corn project. Agricultural technicians are on-site, guiding farmers and ensuring precise control over planting depth and spacing.

An aerial view of mechanized farming in Dalin village. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

This year, supported by central government funds for grain production, Xifeng county is implementing 31,000 mu of demonstration corn cultivation. The program includes the development of two 10,000-mu zones, ten 1,000-mu planting demonstration zones, and ten 100-mu demonstration fields.

In Dalin village and other locations, 500-mu core areas are being built under the "Four Improvements" model, integrating improved farmland, seed varieties, machinery, and farming practices.

The county has developed 218,700 mu of high-standard farmland, laying a solid foundation for mechanized operations. Meanwhile, leading seed varieties such as "Zhengda 659" and "Tianfu 81" are being widely promoted, achieving 100 percent coverage in demonstration areas.

The roots of seedlings in the Xishan Town Seedling Center in Xifeng county are well-developed. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

Mechanization has also been strengthened, with 14 agricultural machinery cooperatives and nearly 20,000 units of machinery in operation. The comprehensive mechanization rate for the cultivation, planting, and harvesting of major crops has reached 63.18 percent, and is expected to exceed 65 percent in 2026.

At the same time, advanced farming practices such as precision seeding are being applied, increasing planting density to over 3,800 plants per mu and significantly improving water and fertilizer efficiency. In 2025, the county's 100-mu corn demonstration fields achieved an average yield of 904.84 kilograms per mu, exceeding targets by 13.1 percent.