Weifang, Shandong: Ensuring winter power supply for irrigation and crop management

The winter wheat sowing season is currently underway in Xiangzhou town, Zhucheng, Weifang. On Nov 19, Liu Ji, a grid manager at State Grid Weifang Power Supply Company, along with his colleague Ge Shouyong, conducted a comprehensive inspection of potential hazards at a major family-owned grain farm run by Wang Jianjun in Xiaowu village. Their inspection focused on the distribution box and leakage protector connected to the electric well that powers a self-propelled reel sprinkler irrigation machine, ensuring reliable electricity supply for sowing operations.

This year, the winter wheat sowing area in Zhucheng city accounts for approximately 1.09 million mu (72,900 hectares), with over 1,800 large-scale growers each cultivating more than 50 mu. Due to persistent rainy weather conditions, wheat sowing in Zhucheng was delayed by 15 to 20 days. To compensate for lost time, local farmers have increased the seeding rate per acre to improve germination rates and seedling density, aiming to mitigate potential yield losses.

With the rise in sowing costs, the Xiangzhou Town Agricultural and Rural Service Center has actively promoted water-saving irrigation technologies. The adoption of equipment such as self-propelled reel sprinkler irrigation machines is expected to increase comprehensive economic benefits by 30 percent.

As temperatures continue to drop, wheat will soon enter the overwintering period. To ensure timely and adequate irrigation during winter, State Grid Weifang Power Supply Company launched a safety inspection campaign targeting approximately 10,500 electric well sites in Zhucheng. Taking into account the wide distribution and frequent use of these wells, and in response to fluctuations in irrigation-related electricity loads, the company has established a "one-grid, one-record" management system for well electricity usage and a closed-loop mechanism for identifying and eliminating potential hazards.

In addition, the company has opened a "green channel" to expedite winter irrigation management processes and connection applications by leveraging the "Online State Grid" app and collaborative power service points in the villages. By refining the rural distribution service grid and enhancing coordination among grid managers across regions, the company ensures prompt responses to customer inquiries, fault repairs, and other service needs.

Furthermore, the company has strengthened equipment maintenance, deepened the application of UAV inspection technology, and implemented a three-tier management system covering winter irrigation lines, transformer areas and customers. Comprehensive inspections of power supply equipment and lines are being carried out to ensure "dynamic zero tolerance" for safety hazards, fully guaranteeing a reliable and sufficient power supply for winter wheat irrigation and management.