In line with Guangdong province's plan to integrate artificial intelligence into agriculture this year, Gaozhou, a county-level city under the administration of Maoming, has deployed an optimized AI model within its lychee production system.
In lychee orchards in Baiqiao village, the AI model links pest and disease monitoring with weather data. The system is designed to support production management by combining real-time field information with automated analysis.
"The model facilitates AI precision guidance and data-driven decision-making in lychee production management," said Xu Hong, head of the comprehensive department of the agricultural and rural affairs center of Maoming.
According to Xu, pest and disease diagnosis has shifted from manual, experience-based assessment to AI-supported analysis that takes only seconds. Accuracy has increased to 95 per cent, while production efficiency has risen by 30 per cent.
The integration of AI enables growers to respond more quickly to changing orchard conditions, particularly in pest pressure and weather-related risks. By consolidating data streams into a single decision-support tool, the system reduces reliance on individual judgment and shortens response times within the production cycle.
Maoming recorded a bumper lychee harvest in 2025. Fresh lychee production exceeded 620,000 metric tons, while exports reached 8,183 tons. The AI deployment forms part of broader efforts within the province to apply digital tools to horticultural production systems, linking data collection, analysis, and operational decisions at the orchard level.
This approach reflects a wider trend in which AI is increasingly applied to crop monitoring and management, with a focus on measurable outputs such as accuracy, speed of diagnosis, and labour efficiency, rather than changes to product positioning or market strategy.
Source: ChinaDaily
