A miniature “sky” is being created on the ground in Anyang, Henan Province—one that can simulate the speed, direction, temperature, and humidity of airflow to help “aerial farmers,” aka agricultural plant protection drones, operate more efficiently. This is the vision behind the world-class Agricultural Smart Wind Tunnel currently under development.
Recently, Blue Sky Laboratory and the Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) signed an agreement to jointly establish a Smart Plant Protection Research Center for Agricultural Drones. A key part of the collaboration involves building a leading global agricultural smart wind tunnel.
“We will upgrade the existing wind tunnel at the drone industrial park to simulate various complex weather conditions and accurately test the performance of agricultural drones in real operating environments,” said Yan Xiaojing, head of the Smart Plant Protection team at CAAS. “This breakthrough will fill the gap in standardized testing platforms for plant protection drones in China and provide core technical support for the agricultural drone industry in Henan and across the country.”
As a core region for grain production in China, Henan accounts for more than one-tenth of the nation’s total grain output and plays a pivotal role in ensuring national food security. This partnership focuses on a critical link in the process of agricultural modernization: the technological enhancement of pesticide application using agricultural drones. Data shows that agricultural drones already account for 98.3% of China’s low-altitude economy operations, making them a central representative of smart agriculture’s new quality productive forces. This aligns closely with Henan’s strategic goal of accelerating the development of a strong agricultural province.
As the only provincial laboratory in Henan dedicated to key technologies in drones and general aviation, Blue Sky Laboratory has been tasked with solving critical “bottleneck” problems in the low-altitude economy since its establishment. It actively promotes the development of new technologies and products while fostering deep integration between practical needs and scientific research outcomes. The Institute of Plant Protection under CAAS is a national public research institution specializing in the study and control of crop pests.
The collaboration will address industry challenges such as the lack of standardized testing platforms for plant protection drones and the intelligent matching of environmental parameters with pesticide application decisions. It aims to provide technical support for China’s goal of increasing grain production by billions of kilograms, ensuring food security, and advancing smart agriculture.
Next, the research center will focus on four major areas to build an integrated “sky-air-ground-cloud” smart plant protection technology system.
“The results of this cooperation will not only support China’s goal of increasing grain production by billions of kilograms but also directly drive the modernization of agriculture in Henan, injecting strong momentum into the province’s transition from a major agricultural producer to an agricultural powerhouse,” said Yuan Huizhu, a member of the Crop Protection Expert Guidance Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
