A crop dusting UAV lends a helping hand to manage farmland in the Xingfu sub-district, in Chongchuan. [Video by Xu Congjun/ntfabu.com]

The bucolic and normally tranquil agricultural fields of the Xingfu sub-district in Chongchuan district – administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – witnessed a small aerial invasion on Sept 8, all in the good cause of protecting the rice crop and boosting the local yield.

Leading the charge were staff from the Jiangxinsha branch of Jiangsu Nongken Agricultural Service Co Ltd – who used an unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV, to spray the fields to prevent disease and eliminate pests to ensure the best rice production and harvest possible.

The UAV was reportedly able to treat 60 mu (4 hectares) of farmland from the air in an hour and can spray 600-700 mu of farmland in a day.

The plantation in the agricultural industrial area of Chongchuan covers an estimated 14,500 mu.

By virtue of modern management means – such as intelligent agricultural equipment and expertise – it is said that these days a single person can manage thousands of mu of farmland.