AgriNation News Network

Rather unsurprisingly, technology has come out on top in a competition between the latest agtech disciplines and traditional farming methods, to see which was better at growing strawberries. As a result, the first ever Smart Agriculture Competition, organised by Pinduoduo Inc, China’s largest agtech platform that connects millions of agricultural producers with consumers across the country, has only further boosted the company’s credentials as a means to raise productivity and increase food security.

The competition saw four technology teams employ data analysis, intelligent sensors and greenhouse automation to produce an average of 6.86kg of strawberries – 196% more than the 2.32kg average grown by the three rivalling teams of traditional growers. The technologists also outperformed farmers in terms of return on investment by an average of 75.5%, according to the competition organiser.

The four-month contest, which ended on 30 November, 2020, was co-organised by Pinduoduo and the China Agricultural University, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations acting as technical adviser. The contest is the first cross-disciplinary smart agriculture competition in China organised by a technology company and university to develop planting methods to raise productivity and yield.

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