AI-powered containers help reshape farming in Xizang

智能种植舱重塑西藏农业

Growing fresh vegetables year-round at a high altitude once seemed improbable. In the Dagze district of Lhasa, Xizang autonomous region, smart growing containers powered by artificial intelligence are beginning to render the seasons irrelevant.

在高海拔地区全年种植新鲜蔬菜，在过去几乎难以办到。在西藏自治区拉萨市达孜区，人工智能驱动的智能种植仓，正让种植不再受季节限制。

Plans are underway to expand a network of such containers from seven to 20 by the end of this year, as local authorities accelerate efforts to develop smart agriculture in one of China's most challenging farming environments.

当地农业发展条件极具挑战，地方有关部门正加快推进智慧农业，计划在今年年底前将此类智能种植仓网络从7个扩大到20个。

The first seven units, each of which is roughly the size of a shipping container, are being tested to see how well they can cultivate leafy vegetables, edible mushrooms and medicinal crops in fully controlled environments.

最初的七个种植仓，每套大小约等同于海运集装箱，目前正在接受测试，检验它们在完全受控的环境中种植叶菜、食用菌和药用作物的能力。

Trial results show that a single container can produce up to 1,000 kilograms of premium oyster mushrooms every 10 days, or more than 225 kilograms of leafy vegetables, with yields several times higher than conventional open-field farming.

试验结果表明，单个种植仓每10天可生产多达1000公斤的优质平菇，或225公斤以上叶菜，产量比常规露地养殖高出数倍。

"The technology is helping plateau agriculture shift from weather-dependent farming to smart farming, and creating a new development model suited to high-altitude regions," said Lobsang Tenzin, head of the Dagze Modern Agriculture Industrial Park.

达孜现代农业产业园负责人洛桑丹增说：“这项技术正在帮助高原农业从靠天吃饭转向智慧农业，同时打造适配高海拔区域的全新发展模式。”

With an average elevation of more than 3,700 meters, Dagze has long faced natural constraints on agricultural production. The district's frost-free period lasts only 120 to 150 days each year, while significant day-night temperature swings, strong ultraviolet radiation and cold winters make crop cultivation difficult.

达孜平均海拔3700多米，农业生产长期面临自然制约。该地区每年的无霜期仅持续120至150天，而显著的昼夜温差、强烈的紫外线辐射和寒冷的冬季使作物种植变得困难。

The smart growing containers integrate environmental control, precision irrigation and fertilization with real-time crop monitoring, allowing crops to grow regardless of external weather conditions.

智能种植仓将环境控制、精确灌溉和施肥与实时作物监控相结合，让作物生长不受外界天气条件制约。

Inside each unit, AI fine-tunes lighting, temperature, humidity and nutrient formulas, shortening growth cycles for some mushrooms and leafy vegetables to as little as one week.

在每个种植仓内，人工智能微调照明、温度、湿度和营养配方，可将部分蘑菇与叶菜类蔬菜的生长周期最短压缩至一周。

Produce from the first batch using the smart containers is already being supplied directly to local government institutions and businesses, with distribution expected to expand as production capacity increases.

使用智能种植仓的第一批产品已经直接供应给当地政府机构和企业，预计随着产能的增加，供货范围将会扩大。

For Zhang Bin, project director and deputy director of the Jiaxing Zhongke Internet of Things Engineering Technology Center, the real value of the project lies in its flexible deployment.

对于项目总监、同时也是嘉兴中科物联网工程技术中心副主任张斌来说，项目的真正价值在于灵活部署。

Designed to match standard shipping-container dimensions and capable of soilless farming, the units can be transported by truck and put into operation simply by connecting electricity and water supplies, making them easy to deploy throughout the plateau region, he said.

他表示，这些装置的设计符合标准集装箱尺寸，能够进行无土栽培，可以通过卡车运输，只需连接电力和供水即可投入运营，便于在高原全域部署。

Extensive field research showed that agricultural models successful in eastern China could not be replicated on the Tibetan Plateau due to its unique climate, geography and logistical challenges, said Zhang. "Our goal was to develop a solution tailored to high-altitude regions, rather than copy existing models."

张说，广泛的实地研究表明，受青藏高原受独特气候、地理条件及物流难题制约，在中国东部成功的农业模式无法在青藏高原复制。“我们的目标是开发适合高海拔地区的解决方案，而不是复制现有模型。”

Yang Yahui, an associate researcher at the Vegetable Research Institute of the Xizang Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, said that smart growing containers represent a promising model of intelligent farming that complements rather than replaces conventional agriculture.

西藏农牧科学院蔬菜研究所副研究员杨亚辉表示，智能种植仓代表了一种很有前途的智能农业模式，可对传统农业形成补充而非取而代之。

"The enclosed smart growing system isolates crops from pests and pollution, greatly reducing — and in some cases eliminating — the need for pesticides while improving the quality of the produce," Yang said. "Precise control of light, temperature and nutrients also allows growers to optimize the flavor and nutritional value."

杨说：“封闭式智能种植系统可将作物与虫害、污染隔离，大幅减少农药使用需求，部分场景下甚至可完全消除该需求，同时提升农产品品质。”“通过精准调控光照、温度与养分，种植者还能优化农产品风味与营养价值。”

He added that soilless cultivation and integrated irrigation systems significantly reduce water consumption, making the technology particularly suitable for the plateau's fragile ecological environment.

他补充说，无土栽培和一体化灌溉系统大幅减少了用水量，使该技术特别适合高原脆弱的生态环境。

"I see smart growing containers as an important part of the future of agriculture in Xizang," Yang said. "They are not meant to replace traditional farming, but to solve problems that conventional agriculture cannot easily address."

“我认为智能种植容器是西藏未来农业的重要组成部分，” 杨表示。“这类设备并非旨在取代传统耕作，而是解决常规农业难以妥善应对的各类难题。”

The project is also helping to cultivate a new generation of agricultural professionals. The seven smart containers now in use are managed by Nyima Tsering, a 2024 graduate of Xizang Vocational Technical College.

该项目同时助力培育新一代农业专业人才。现已投入使用的 7 套智能种植箱，由西藏职业技术学院 2024 届毕业生尼玛次仁负责运维管理。

"Modern agriculture offers young people broad opportunities," he said. "I hope to master smart farming technologies, stay in my hometown and encourage more local young people to join modern agriculture."

“现代农业为年轻人提供了广阔机遇，”他说。“我希望掌握智慧种植技术，留在家乡，鼓励更多当地年轻人投身现代农业。”

Local authorities also plan to establish smart agriculture training programs to cultivate more young professionals for the next stage of agricultural modernization across the plateau.

当地政府还计划建立智慧农业培训项目，为高原农业现代化下一阶段培养更多年轻专业人才。