A drone photo taken on March 19, 2024 shows drones spraying pesticides on the crops at the smart farm at Shuanglou Village, Bozhou City of east China's Anhui Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

HEFEI -- As dawn breaks over the vast wheat fields, a fleet of drones hums to life, rising like a swarm of mechanical bees. Guided by skilled pilots, the drones glide over the expanse, spraying the crops with precisely measured doses of pesticide.

In just three days, more than 80,000 mu (approximately 5,333.33 hectares) of wheat fields will be treated. This level of efficiency is unimaginable in traditional farming.

In a display of agricultural modernization, this annual operation in Zhaoqiao Township, in Bozhou City, east China's Anhui Province, highlights the increasing role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in China's agricultural sector.

To ensure optimal pest control, nearly 40 skilled drone pilots operate UAVs weighing between 50 and 70 kilograms, swiftly maneuvering over vast wheat fields to apply pesticides efficiently and precisely.

"Traditional manual pesticide spraying could only cover 10 to 15 mu per day. Now, a single agricultural drone can handle about 1,000 mu daily, ensuring even coverage without gaps or overlaps," said Jiao Rui, a 33-year-old drone team leader.

Bozhou alone has nearly 3,000 agricultural drones in operation, contributing to a nationwide total of 251,000 UAVs dedicated to agricultural services in 2024.

These drones collectively covered 2.67 billion mu of farmland, marking a nearly 25 percent year-on-year increase. Beyond pest control, they are also used for fertilization, seeding, pollination, and field monitoring, significantly enhancing agricultural productivity.

The recently released "No. 1 Central Document" for 2025 outlines priorities to deepen rural reforms further and solid steps to advance all-around rural revitalization. It emphasizes the importance of developing new quality productive forces in agriculture in light of local conditions.

Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, emphasized at a recent press conference that smart technologies, including UAVs, mechanized farming, AI-driven agriculture, and low-altitude economy applications, hold vast potential for rural development.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country's low-altitude economy is expected to reach a market size of 1.5 trillion yuan (about 209.09 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025 and could grow to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

This sector is rapidly integrating into various rural applications, from agricultural protection to forest fire prevention, water resource inspection, rural logistics, and tourism.

In the mountainous Hongqi Village of Yuexi County, Anhui, a small white drone takes off daily from its automated docking station, ready to carry out its tasks.

Equipped with high-definition and infrared cameras, as well as a loudspeaker, the drone patrols a 15-square-kilometer forest area for 40 minutes before returning to recharge.

Later, it flies to check on elderly residents living alone, enabling local staff to communicate with them remotely. During flood season, the drone's tasks expand to include river inspections.

Since the launch of the pilot program in August 2024, drones in Hongqi Village have covered a total of 1,422.95 kilometers and detected over 30 safety hazards, all of which were promptly addressed.

"Previously, forest patrols required two workers on motorcycles for an entire day, and visiting elderly residents in the mountains took about 90 minutes round-trip. With UAVs, we significantly enhance efficiency and service delivery," said Shi Yongshi, the first secretary of Hongqi Village.

Anhui's local practices epitomize a broader national trend. By 2027, east China's Zhejiang Province plans to have over 10,000 agricultural drones in operation, covering more than 65 million mu of farmland. Drone-based rural inspections are also set to reach over 30 percent of villages.

Low-altitude logistics are expanding across cities and rural areas in Guangdong Province, focusing on high-value seafood transport, maritime supply deliveries, rapid medical shipments, and agricultural product transport from mountainous regions.

"Beyond agriculture, the low-altitude economy is becoming a new engine for rural revitalization and industrial upgrading," said Zhang Jian, a professor at the Civil Aviation Flight University of China.