Intelligent system helps Xizang walnut growers

The intelligent use of big data in Gyatsa county, Xizang autonomous region, promises to revolutionize walnut cultivation through better environmental monitoring, intelligent decision-making, and more efficient irrigation and fertilization.

The county, in the city of Lhokha, is the oldest walnut-growing area in Xizang. In December, it was certified by the World Record Certification Agency as the "World's Largest Millennium Walnut Forest".

In recent years, Gyatsa walnuts have become emblematic of the county's socioeconomic development. Its walnut planting area covers 3,000 hectares, with over 520,000 young walnut trees and an annual walnut yield of 1,200 metric tons, worth about 36 million yuan ($5 million).

The intelligent big data system marks a significant leap forward in the modernization of Gyatsa's walnut industry, which has traditionally faced challenges such as inconsistent standards, high labor intensity and unstable yields.

To address those obstacles and propel the walnut industry toward a more sustainable and efficient future, Gyatsa has embraced modern agricultural technologies. A key milestone in this journey is the implementation of the intelligent walnut big data control operation system, which was developed by Hubei Changda Technology Development Co. The system, developed in collaboration with Yangtze University, represents a cutting-edge approach to agricultural management.

Professor Xu Xiaohong, the assistant to the university's president and an "Aid-Xizang" work team leader, said it was developed using the most advanced technology and latest equipment in the field of domestic smart agriculture, featuring full control, full automation and full digitization.

"With just a mobile phone, one can access real-time parameters of the weather, soil and other conditions of the walnut base in Gyatsa county from anywhere in the world," Xu said, adding that it was able to control drip irrigation.

He said the concept of intelligence lies in having a complete set of equipment controlled and operated by unified system software. The system will precisely calculate fertilization and irrigation amounts based on the parameters obtained from the base to achieve optimal results.

Representing the advance of new productive forces on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the intelligent walnut big data control operation system has been tailored to suit Gyatsa's high-altitude environment. It integrates intelligent water and fertilizer machines, automatic irrigation control devices, soil moisture stations and meteorological observation stations.