Man ceaselessly pursues technological innovations to boost animal husbandry in N China's Inner Mongolia

Deleheihonggeer tests the wireless monitoring system on a grassland in Abaga Banner, Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Deleheihonggeer, a man from a herdsman family in a village in Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, chose to return to the grassland after graduating from university. At 35 years old, he is now dedicated to developing technology for animal husbandry. With the expertise he has acquired, he is now sowing the seeds of scientific and technological innovation on the grassland.

Abaga Banner, situated in the central-mid part of Xilingol League, spans 27,500 square kilometers with a permanent population of around 40,000, more than half of which are herdsmen. When Deleheihonggeer first returned to his hometown, many people questioned why he chose to go back to the pastoral area. Deleheihonggeer simply stated that he felt needed by the people there.

Deleheihonggeer remembered that when he was young, his family's livestock grazed in various areas on the grassland. For example, it took them over two hours to feed the cattle. During the winter, they had to travel several kilometers in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius to take their livestock to a specific location for water. "I wanted to make livestock raising easier for my parents," Deleheihonggeer said.

As he grew older, Deleheihonggeer realized that science and technology was the key to improving livestock raising. That was why he decided to study agricultural mechanization and automation at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University.

While in university, Deleheihonggeer dedicated himself to reading extensively and actively participating in various programs and training sessions. "I made the decision to seek employment in my hometown before graduating, and my parents were supportive," he said.

In July 2013, Deleheihonggeer joined the grassland monitoring and management bureau of Abaga Banner as part of a program aimed at encouraging university graduates to work at the grassroots level. He remained in this position for two years.

"My responsibilities included measuring grassland and resolving conflicts, and I spent the entire day working with herdsmen," he explained. It was during this period that he began contemplating the installation of monitoring cameras on the grassland to simplify the care of the herdsmen's livestock.

He believed that utilizing wireless transmission technology and establishing a reliable power supply system could address the issue. After conducting tens of experiments over nearly a year and investing close to 100,000 yuan (about $13,782.2), he successfully created a grassland wireless monitoring system powered by a photovoltaic system. Additionally, he secured a new patent for his innovation.

The system enables effortless monitoring of livestock on grassland spanning nearly 10,000 mu (about 66.67 square kilometers). Alatenghua, a herdsman who adopted the technology early on, said, "Previously, hiring a livestock caretaker cost me tens of thousands of yuan annually. With the wireless monitoring system in place, I can now observe the grassland from home, saving me a significant amount of money."

Several months later, Deleheihonggeer developed a remote water control system that can regulate the water supply for livestock located several kilometers away using a mobile phone.

Following the conclusion of his service two years later, Deleheihonggeer and his schoolmates co-founded an animal husbandry technology company. To date, he has acquired 12 patents and is recognized as a grassroots expert in the utilization of agricultural machinery.

With assistance from relevant departments, Deleheihonggeer promoted modern technologies and applications in pasturing areas. With government subsidies, these applications were widely embraced by herdsmen in pasturing areas across Xilingol League.

In recent years, Deleheihonggeer has been actively engaged in combating desertification in Xilingol League, which has approximately 86.45 million mu of desertified land and faces a challenging task in desertification prevention and control.

Deleheihonggeer, along with his friends, established a farmers' cooperative. In June 2024, the cooperative applied to participate in a desertification prevention and control initiative led by the forestry and grassland bureau of Abaga Banner and was approved to join the effort. Their responsibilities include applying fertilizers, constructing sand barriers, and planting grass on grassland spanning over 20,000 mu.

While participating in desertification control, Deleheihonggeer is also exploring new livestock technologies. "I want to do my best to make this land a little better," he said. Deleheihonggeer expressed hope that the next time people visit the area, the sandy land will have become more green.