The opening ceremony of the China (Neixiang)-Israel Agriculture Demonstration Park is recently held in Neixiang county, Nanyang. [Photo/neixiangxian.gov.cn]

New species of vegetables and fruits will be bred with cutting-edge Israeli technology at the China (Neixiang)-Israel Agriculture Demonstration Park in Nanyang’s Neixiang county, which began operation recently.

The demonstration park is operated under a tripartite agreement signed by the Neixiang government, Muyuan Food and Sonic Agriculture Hi-Tech. The latter is a large-scale Israeli enterprise focusing on vegetable breeding and production.

Costing 130 million yuan ($20 million), the facility will encompass one intelligent seedling breeding plant, one water and fertilizer control center, five energy-saving and intelligent greenhouses, and four outdoor planting demonstration areas.

Israeli agricultural expert guides a staff member in the demonstration park’s greenhouse. [Photo by Qi Guozhan/Chinanews.com]

Advanced Israeli agricultural technology related to soilless cultivation, artificial lighting, trickle irrigation, temperature-controlled greenhouses, and water-fertilizer integration will be used to breed new species of tomato, color pepper, fruit cucumber, and other kinds of Israeli produce.

The park adopts an Israeli drip irrigation system, which uses electronic sensors and computers to determine how much water and fertilizer needs to be applied. An imbedded climate-control system will automatically adjust the temperature and humidity in the greenhouse, said Liu Qi, production director of the demonstration park.

According to Liu, the integrated water and fertilizing system can keep the land in an arable state for 300 days a year and increase crop yields by 50 percent. Soilless cultivation will also improve product quality by isolating the crops from the external environment.

In addition, the demonstration park will demarcate zones for vegetable and fruit sampling, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment in order to help develop rural tourism. Its cooperative “enterprise-cooperative-family farm” model will also be promoted in other Nanyang towns and villages to help peasants increase their income.

A park staff member displays hydroponic vegetables. [Photo by Qi Guozhan/Chinanews.com]

(chinadaily.com.cn),Chinanews