Zhang Ruihong, a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Yangzhou University, works in a field. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]

Zhang Ruihong, a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Yangzhou University, was recently honored by the Jiangsu provincial government as one of "The Best Teachers of 2020", local media outlets reported.

With over 40 years of experience with agricultural machinery, professor Zhang has long been promoting agricultural transformation with advanced agricultural equipment.

"I hope with the upgrading of agricultural equipment, Chinese farmers can see real benefits and the Chinese people can enjoy the best food in the world," Zhang said.

The intelligent agricultural equipment professor Zhang developed in recent years has honored his words.

For example, a ploughing machine he developed in 2014 has helped made returning crop stalks to the field easier. An autopilot device developed a year later has broken the technological monopoly of the United States. In 2019, the professor led research on an unmanned farming management system, and a year later, an internationally leading unmanned gain planter was put on the market.

"Professor Zhang's research is always commercialized the same year," said Liu Hanbo, an official at the school.

Gong Junjie, another official at the school, said professor Zhang is always either cultivating fields or cultivating students.

Zhang regards operational abilities to be a top priority for students and said he always takes his students to work in fields or factories during the summer holiday.

"We are not geniuses, so we should calm the mind and get down to work," said Zhang to his students.

Professor Zhang and his students. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]