Six steps of water-seeded planting completed in one pass, saving costs and labor

During the spring plowing season, in Mingshui County, Heilongjiang, in the western drought-prone area, the drought-resistant seedling-preservation technique known as water-seeded planting, which previously required more than a dozen people and two or three tractors making three or four repeated passes over the field, has been continuously improved by farmers. Now it takes only two people and one tractor to complete all six steps from furrowing to compacting in a single pass. Farmers can sit on the vehicle and plant grain easily "without their feet touching the ground."

Since the beginning of this year, Heilongjiang has received less effective precipitation, and the soil in the main corn-producing areas has been severely deficient in moisture. Water-seeded planting was once an effective drought-resistant seedling-preservation sowing method: furrow first, then water, then drop in the seed, and close the ridge, ensuring a full stand of seedlings even in drought. However, because the process was complicated, required a lot of labor, and cost a lot, it was once abandoned by some farmers.

Li Qinjiang is a farmer in Yongyue Village, Tongda Town, Mingshui County, Heilongjiang, and has nearly 20 years of experience with water-seeded planting. "Back then, water-seeded planting was as lively as a meeting. A small four-wheel tractor opened the furrow, three or four people spread fertilizer, and there also had to be a vehicle to haul water, people to water and drop in seed, then close the ridge and compact it. With more than ten people and two or three vehicles, at most 30-plus mu of land could be planted in a day."

The improved water-seeded planting is worlds apart from before. Li Qinjiang stopped his small four-wheel tractor and explained the trick: the furrowing plow is welded between the front and rear wheels on the driver's left side, and the fertilizer pipe, water pipe, and seed dropper are fixed in sequence, regulated by the machine's gears and valves. The person sitting behind the cart holds the ridge-closing device, and the compactor hung on the cart does the compacting. Furrowing, fertilizing, watering, seeding, ridge closing, and compacting, all six steps are completed as soon as the vehicle passes.

"Two people can plant more than 30 mu of large corn in a day, and it costs less." Old Li counted on his fingers: previously, furrowing, watering, ridge closing, and compacting each required a small four-wheel tractor; now it is done in one pass, saving 50 or 60 yuan in machinery costs. The ten people no longer needed can go out to work, and one person can earn more than 100 yuan a day. "Although modifying it cost more than 1,000 yuan, it can be used for six or seven years. Worth it!"