Experiences from Wanzhuang STB village

We visited a Science and Technology Backyard known as Wanzhaung on several occasions to learn various practical experiences from farmers. The farmers grow wheat with assistance from students and lecturers from China Agricultural University. In the field, I had the opportunity to interact with several experts. I learned a lot about wheat agronomy, from planting, fertilizer management, irrigation, and the major summer maize winter wheat rotation system. The farmers grew a high yielding wheat variety that is known to be rich in protein. The wheat rows are structured in such a way that they leave space about 15cm to plant the following maize crop. The crop was at the physiological maturity stage. Harvesting was done mechanically with a combine harvester.

The activities were interesting since I participated in the collection of grain and yield estimations. Almost all sections during the harvesting were captured with a drone mounted with a camera. Important to note is that this mechanization process involves the use of GPS for precision. Later on, after the summer maize season, I visited the village for the harvesting of maize. I worked together with some Chinese students to calculate yield-related parameters. This was a great opportunity for me to exchange knowledge with my Chinese counterparts.