Ⅰ. Inner Mongolia: Precision Drip Irrigation Driven by Smart Meteorological Technology
In the heart of winter, the 10,000-mu (approx. 667 hectares) corn experimental demonstration zone at Wulanbuhe Farm in Dengkou County, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia, is a hive of activity. Meteorological departments, in collaboration with agricultural enterprises and insurance companies, are conducting a benefit comparison between traditional irrigation and smart meteorological water-saving irrigation models. They are using scientific data to measure the contribution rate of meteorological technology services to agricultural production.
Inner Mongolia is located in an arid and semi-arid region where water scarcity has long constrained agricultural development. In the past, farmland irrigation relied heavily on experience and "flood irrigation," leading to wasteful water use. Today, relying on the innovative "Smart Meteorological Water-Saving Irrigation Forecasting Technology" developed by Inner Mongolia's meteorological departments, agricultural drip irrigation is transforming from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to a precise "household-specific" model, injecting new technological momentum into modern agriculture.
Ⅱ. From "Experience" to "Data": Precision Drip Irrigation with "One Plan per Field"
"In the past, we watered based on the look of the sky and our own experience; now, we rely on 'digital prescriptions'," says Wei Jinxi, a large-scale planter in the Wulanbuhe demonstration area. He opens the "Inner Mongolia Smart Agriculture Meteorology" mini-program on his phone and displays the "Smart Meteorological Water-Saving Irrigation" module. Based on multi-source data-including real-time weather forecasts, gridded soil moisture, and satellite remote sensing of crop growth-the system generates a personalized irrigation decision for every field he contracts for the next seven days, explicitly stating "when to water and how much."
"The core breakthrough of this technology lies in the leap from 'single-point monitoring' to 'gridded dynamic optimization'," explains Wu Rongsheng, a Senior Engineer at the Ecological and Agricultural Meteorological Center of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Traditional methods struggle to account for differences in soil and terrain within a single field. This technology integrates weather forecasts, multi-source observations, and a self-developed land surface data assimilation system to generate high-precision soil moisture grid fields. Simultaneously, using AI-driven image recognition for crop growth stages, the system can intelligently identify conditions from real-time monitoring and photos uploaded by farmers. This provides "tailor-made" irrigation plans via mobile terminals, controlling irrigation volume errors to within 5%. When combined with integrated water and fertilizer technology, it achieves "water-fertilizer synergy" and precision control.
In 2024, with the support of the China Meteorological Administration, the "IoT Low-Power Smart Irrigation Digital Control Hardware" developed by Inner Mongolia's meteorological departments was deeply coupled with water-saving irrigation technology. It was applied in Tuquan County, Hinggan League-the nation's first smart meteorological water-saving irrigation demonstration zone-marking the first time a "data perception–smart decision–automatic execution" unmanned irrigation loop was achieved.
Ⅲ. "Insurance + Meteorology": Innovating Risk Management from "Post-Disaster Compensation" to "Pre-Disaster Prevention"
At Wulanbuhe Farm, a sign for the "PICC P&C Bayannur Smart Meteorological Disaster Prevention, Stable Yield, and Water-Saving Irrigation Demonstration Zone" is particularly eye-catching. It represents more than just drip irrigation technology; it is an intelligent innovation model merging meteorological early warning, disaster prevention, and yield stabilization.
In May 2025, the Inner Mongolia Meteorological Bureau signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Inner Mongolia Branch of the People's Insurance Company of China (PICC P&C) to jointly create an "Insurance + Risk Reduction + Technology" service model. This embeds smart meteorological irrigation, agricultural observation systems, and soil/pest monitoring equipment directly into the entire agricultural production process.
"Precision drip irrigation reduces the risk of drought and flood disasters at the source, changing the commercial service model of insurance," says General Manager of the branch. By accessing real-time drip irrigation decision data, insurance companies can assess underwriting risks more accurately. By pushing irrigation and disaster prevention suggestions to insured farmers, the focus shifts from "paying after the disaster" to a full-chain risk management approach involving "pre-disaster warning, mid-disaster intervention, and post-disaster evaluation."
This innovative model has achieved a multi-win scenario. According to evaluations, the application of this technology resulted in:
21 kg per mu
57.8 cubic meters per mu
63.05 kWh per mu
56.96 yuan in water and electricity costs per mu
24.3 yuan per mu
111.7 yuan per mu
192.9 yuan per mu
In 2025, relying on this "Insurance + Water Saving + Meteorology" model, the meteorological department provided precision disaster warning services to 74 households, sending 1,332 warnings with a 100% reach rate.
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Ⅳ. From "Demonstration" to "Promotion": Broad Prospects for Rural Revitalization
Inner Mongolia's meteorological departments are actively integrating smart irrigation technology into the broader goals of increasing grain yield and constructing high-standard farmland. Since the first demonstration base was established in Tuquan County in 2020, this technology has flourished across the region. In 2025, new thousand-mu bases were established in Bayannur, Ulanqab, and Tongliao. Collaborations were also extended to enterprise-funded bases with Hulunbuir State Farm and specialized industrial parks like the Bayan Obo Iron Mine Group's seedling and flower nursery.
This "Inner Mongolia Solution" has now gone national. It has been promoted and applied in 14 provinces2.71 million mu. The mobile platform has over 82,000 registered users7 million yuan.
"The vitality of this technology comes from the fact that it solves practical problems in agricultural production," noted an expert from the China Meteorological Administration. Looking forward, Inner Mongolia's meteorological departments will expand services from drip irrigation to fertilization and pest control, exploring coordination with drones and smart agricultural machinery to build a more complete smart agriculture ecosystem.