"Is the drone-based plant protection operation fully covering the designated areas? How much acreage is being treated each day?" These were the questions posed by inspectors from the discipline inspection and supervision team of the county's agriculture bureau as they walked through a corn plantation in Bansqiao Subdistrict, Shilin Yi Autonomous County. While monitoring the aerial spraying operation, they also engaged farmers to verify the implementation of agricultural support policies.
On the field ridge, drone pilot Lu Kaihua operated his device, tapping the screen to send the aircraft along a preset route. A fine, even mist of pesticide was dispersed over the sprawling crops. "A single drone can cover between 800 and 1,000 mu per day. Back when we relied on manual backpack sprayers, three mu was a full day's work. The efficiency has multiplied hundreds of times over, and it saves the crops from being trampled while ensuring an even application," Lu noted, his words reflecting tangible benefits for the growers.
As the autumn harvest enters its critical yield-building phase, the Shilin County Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Committee has placed food security at the top of its supervision agenda. The focus is on conducting embedded oversight of drone adoption, specifically targeting potential bottlenecks such as slow approval processes and bureaucratic buck-passing. In Bansqiao Subdistrict, the local disciplinary committee has woven its supervision into the very fabric of key operations, from the procurement and distribution of agricultural supplies to the drone spraying services, listening to residents' concerns first-hand and pushing the county agriculture bureau to streamline its procedures.
This oversight has accelerated the review and disbursement of agricultural machinery purchase subsidies. As a result, the county has now registered nine specialized pest control organizations and 91 plant protection drones, completing over 420,000 mu of professional, unified pest control operations. The march toward technology-driven agriculture is now on firmer footing, guided by this strict supervisory hand.
Pest monitoring and early warning serve as the first line of defense for food security, determining whether outbreaks can be nipped in the bud. Disciplinary inspectors have been dispatched to the front lines to verify that the county's seven pest monitoring stations are fully operational, that technicians are on duty, and that insect population data is being reported without delay. The discipline inspection team within the county agriculture bureau conducts routine checks by reviewing monitoring logs and conducting spot inspections of control results.
In a coordinated effort with market regulators, they have also conducted exhaustive inspections of agricultural supply points to prevent substandard seeds or low-quality fertilizers from entering the market. The ultimate measure of success for these efforts lies in the benefits experienced by the farmers themselves. In response to complaints about weak planting techniques and unfamiliarity with machinery, the inspection teams have pushed agriculture authorities to deliver more targeted, point-to-point guidance, setting up practical "classrooms" directly in the fields.
For the drone subsidy process, the team is auditing each step from application to disbursement, meticulously verifying that equipment meets subsidy eligibility, that operations meet acreage requirements, and that applications are being processed fairly and promptly. These checks are designed to put a stop to any fraudulent claims or unauthorized practices. As late-season management of autumn grain shifts into high gear, vigilance against pests and diseases like aphids must not waver.
Moving forward, Shilin's disciplinary and supervisory bodies will maintain a sustained focus on key stages of grain production. Problems identified during inspections will be logged, tracked, and resolved through a strict accountability system, ensuring the "storage of grain in the land and in technology" strategy is fully realized on the ground.