Villagers use stackable seeding trays for seedling cultivation in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

In Lishui, Zhejiang province, innovative rice planting technologies are revolutionizing agricultural practices.

In Jizhai township, Qingtian county, farmers like Ye Liyin are benefiting significantly from the automatic planting equipment. With the help of the 5-kilogram backpack equipment, rice seedlings are thrown into the fields at a speed of over 300 seedlings per minute.

This technology allows farmers to plant rice with ease and efficiency. "Our ancestors had to bend over to plant rice, spending a whole day on one mu (0.07 hectares) of land and ending up with a sore back. Now, we can stand straight while planting and the same work can be finished in around an hour," said Ye.

The rice seedlings come from a seedling center in Yunhe county, where stackable hard seedling trays are used for efficient and high-quality seedling cultivation.

"Traditional flat soft seedling trays are hard to stack for seedling emergence and unsuitable for long-distance transportation. The stackable seedling trays can shorten the seedling period, reducing pests and diseases," said Fan Liangxi, head of the seedling center. "Seeds can grow into robust seedlings 15 centimeters tall within 20 days."

By combining automatic planting equipment with stackable seedling trays, farmers can now plant rice in small terraced fields more effectively. This innovation also reduces planting costs significantly.

The total area of rice cultivation in Lishui is 610,000 mu, with over 10,000 mu being demonstration bases for the new technologies. The scale is expected to be expanded to 100,000 mu within the next three years.