The exploration between EAVISION and the Hebei Plant Protection Department began three years ago. At that time, the Chinese apple industry was experiencing rapid growth. China and the European Union are the world's largest apple consumption regions, accounting for 54% and 14% of global consumption, respectively.

However, with an aging population and increasing production costs, planting efficiency decreased, leading to extensive cutting of non-advantageous apple orchards. In 2023, the national apple acreage dropped to below 20 million mu, and the number of apple farmers decreased from 5 million to 4.5 million. Mechanization of plant protection, especially in hilly and mountainous orchards, became a bottleneck, and improving production efficiency became urgent.

2021 - Pilot Project Initiated

In 2021, EAVISION and Shunping County Agricultural Technology Promotion Center jointly established the Taihang Mountain Fruit Tree Green Flight Control Collaborative Innovation Experimental Demonstration Base. They conducted experiments on unmanned aerial drone-based apple tree protection technology, developed standardized operating procedures and technical routes for drone-based apple tree protection, and published the " EAVISION E-A2020 All-Terrain Plant Protection Unmanned Aircraft Spray Pesticide for the Control of Apple Leafroller Test Report," which certified the effectiveness of EAVISION drones in controlling apple leafrollers.

2022 - Deepened Cooperation and Exploration

In 2022, EAVISION collaborated with plant protection stations and agricultural technology extension centers in various regions of Hebei to organize observation meetings on green apple tree pest and disease control and implement full-course aerial protection in demonstration areas. In addition, EAVISION and the Hebei Plant Protection and Plant Inspection Station published a paper titled "Effect of Aerial Low-Volume Spray for Controlling Apple Leafrollers in Hilly Apple Orchards" in the "China Plant Protection Guide," confirming the unique advantages of unmanned aerial drones in pesticide application in hilly orchards, with an efficiency that exceeds traditional spraying equipment by more than 30 times. The promotion and demonstration of EAVISION drone-based apple tree protection were included in the 2022 agricultural promotion projects of the Hebei Provincial Department of Agriculture.

2023 - Verification and Widespread Promotion

In 2023, Shunping County Agricultural and Rural Bureau established a demonstration area for full-course green apple tree pest and disease control, utilizing EAVISION unmanned aerial drones for aerial protection. This project not only verified the capability of EAVISION drones to apply pesticides to the undersides of leaves without damaging branches and fruit, but also demonstrated effective control against red spider mites, spot leaf fall disease, and rot disease. It also helped establish the reputation of the EAVISION brand in the local market.

In October 2023, the Baoding Plant Protection and Plant Inspection Station organized a technical training seminar on green apple tree pest and disease control in Shunping County and conducted on-site technical demonstrations in the demonstration area. Deputy Director Zhang Jinwen, Deputy Head of the Pest Control Section Fan Jingfang, Deputy Head of the Measurement and Reporting Section Cui Yan, heads of plant protection departments in various counties (cities, districts) in Baoding, plant protection station directors, leaders of specialized plant protection service organizations, and large-scale growers attended the meeting. Li Jianmin, General Manager of the Industrial Development Center of Suzhou EAVISION Robotics Technology Co., Ltd., and Hebei representative Yan Bin explained the advanced patented technology of EAVISION unmanned aerial drones and the achievements made in green apple tree pest and disease control in Hebei over the past three years.

Mr. Lao Yang, the orchard manager, expressed great satisfaction with the effectiveness of EAVISION aerial protection. He summarized the benefits of using EAVISION drones with "three savings and two improvements."

The "three savings" refer to saving labor, water, and pesticides. Labor-saving is evident as previously, it took one full day for manual pesticide application in a 7-mu orchard, but now using drones, it only takes one hour, an efficiency increase of eight times. Water-saving is evident as manual pesticide application used to require 600 kilograms of water per mu, with poor results. However, now, using EAVISION drones, only 16 kilograms of water per mu are needed, saving 97.3% of water. Pesticide-saving is evident as well, with a reduction of more than 30% in pesticide usage compared to manual application, while achieving better pest control.

The "two improvements" refer to improving fruit quality and increasing farmers' income. Previously, manual pesticide application often led to pesticide residues and lower fruit quality. Now, using EAVISION drones, pest damage is reduced, fruit quality is improved, and income naturally increases.

In the future, EAVISION will continue to innovate and create a standardized, unified agricultural modernization management solution with prevention as the main focus. They will continue to assist in promoting decisions for green agricultural development in Hebei Province, moving towards the goal of reducing pesticide usage and increasing efficiency, and contributing to the comprehensive green transformation of agriculture in Hebei.