In the era of big data, how can the Agricultural Technology Cloud deliver effective grassroots agricultural extension services?
The "last mile" problem of grassroots agricultural technology extension has always hindered the rapid development of modern agriculture. The "Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud Platform" developed by the Information Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, through its successful demonstration and application, has not only brought revolutionary changes to China's traditional agricultural technology extension services, but also propelled China's agricultural services toward a comprehensive information age.
53-year-old Gu Shengxing is an ordinary grassroots agricultural technology extension worker in Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province. He specializes in pest and disease control, but what is remarkable is that no agricultural technology problem farmers encounter stumps Old Gu. The secret lies in the 3G netbook he carries with him. Since he began using the 3G "netbook" in 2009, Gu Shengxing has solved over ten thousand agricultural technology problems for farmers.
"This is no ordinary netbook. If there's a problem raised by a farmer that I can't solve, I just take a photo and upload it, and well-known agricultural experts can provide remote diagnosis. Even if the expert isn't online, other agricultural experts can quickly help out." Gu Shengxing told reporters that the Agricultural Technology Service Cloud Platform has increased his agricultural technology extension work efficiency by at least double.
Opening up the "last mile" of grassroots agricultural technology extension
"The Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud Platform is a major platform for information services, and even more so a major platform for resource sharing." Researcher Wang Wensheng, chief scientist for the development of this scientific and technological achievement and deputy director of the Information Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, defined it this way.
How does the Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud Platform clear the "last mile" of agricultural technology extension?
Wang Wensheng explained: "The Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud Platform makes full use of big data. First, it gathers various agricultural research achievements and processes them with real-time updates. At the same time, the platform also brings together experts, agricultural technicians, and farmers. As long as people use a computer or mobile internet, they can look up the information they need at any time and communicate with experts in real time."
Letting farmers see experts' achievements anytime and anywhere, and letting farmers' needs be fed back to experts anytime and anywhere, the "Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud Platform" builds a bridge between experts and farmers. But to fully translate experts' technology into application, grassroots agricultural technology extension workers are still needed to serve as information "relay passers." As an important part of the "Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud Platform," the "Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud" netbooks, tablet computers, and mobile phones in their hands are their most powerful "weapons."
Liu Lei, an agricultural technician at the Xinxiang County Aquatic Technology Extension Station in Henan Province, used the "Agricultural Technology Cloud" to help large-scale farmer Ji Zhongyou transition to ornamental fish farming, and he recovered his startup costs that very year. She said with emotion: "Whatever technology farmers want to learn about in production, through the 'Agricultural Technology Cloud' in my hands, they can immediately learn information in the relevant field, and experts will also help give suggestions. We collect this information, tell the farmers, and help them apply it to actual production, so that scientific and technological achievements can be put into practice."
⟦NL> The reporter saw that the "Agricultural Technology Cloud" tablet in Liu Lei's hands is equipped not only with a camera, but also a microphone. At the same time, when the interface is opened, the content is rich, divided into multiple sections such as agricultural technology consultation, expert diagnosis, market conditions, training services, and extension logs. With just a light touch or click, it can immediately connect to the internet and enable dialogue with experts on the platform.
"Relying on the Agricultural Technology Service Cloud Platform not only makes agricultural technicians' work more convenient, but also allows various advanced technologies in experts' computers to quickly 'land' and be delivered quickly into farmers' hands, truly opening up the 'last mile' of agricultural technology extension." Yang Lisheng, deputy inspector of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture, who has long conducted research on the agricultural technology extension system, told reporters.
Chen Mengshan, Party Secretary of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, believes that the Agricultural Technology Cloud Platform is the most convenient, most economical, fastest, and most welcomed information service by farmers, and it can also improve the work efficiency of government extension departments. The establishment and promotion of the Agricultural Technology Cloud Platform is a revolutionary change to our traditional extension.
It is understood that since 2009, the "Agricultural Science and Technology Service Cloud Platform" began pilot demonstrations in Xinghua City in Jiangsu Province, Daxing District in Beijing, Xinxiang City in Henan Province, and other places. At present, more than 200,000 grassroots agricultural technicians nationwide have been equipped with mobile internet devices for agricultural technology services, and like Liu Lei, they can carry out efficient agricultural technology extension services at any time.