In the arid hinterlands of northwest China, where barren expanses dominate the landscape, a high-tech greenhouse is growing in spite of local harsh conditions -- producing vibrant greens and sweet strawberries year-round with minimal water and zero pesticides.
The smart farm built last May in Kuqa City of Xinjiang with funding from Ningbo City in eastern China uses hydroponics and automated climate control to grow leafy greens and strawberries unaffected by the dry, dusty surroundings of the Taklimakan Desert, the world's second-largest shifting sand desert.
The indoor farm of nearly 7,000 square meters is part of China's push to modernize rural economies through tech-aided agriculture, with Xinjiang -- where deserts cover 25 percent of the land -- as a key testing ground.
Inside the plant factory, rows of spinach, lettuce and ruby-red strawberries thrive under glass, their roots bathed in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. Sensors adjust temperature, humidity, and irrigation automatically, while workers monitor data dashboards -- a far cry from traditional farming in this snowmelt-dependent region.
Read more at Xinhua