In Baqiao Village, Genzi Town, Gaozhou City of Maoming, Guangdong Province, local lychee grower Liu monitors his orchard’s condition from his phone. Behind this seemingly simple gesture lies the powerful support of the Feiniao Smart Agriculture System, developed by the School of Geography and Planning at Sun Yat-sen University. Tailored to the specific conditions of Liu’s orchard, the system not only detects a flower drop rate of 70% within the managed area but also automatically recommends appropriate fertilizers and dosages. Furthermore, it generates plot-level prescription maps, precisely guiding the farmer on when, where, and how to carry out each agricultural task.
A new variety of "Xiantao" lychee jointly cultivated by the Feiniao team
Developed by the research team led by Professor Qian Shi from the School of Geography and Planning at Sun Yat-sen University, the Feiniao Smart Agriculture System is the world’s first application-level smart orchard management platform for lychees. The system integrates over 120 crop growth algorithms, drawing on years of remote sensing data and agronomic modeling, and incorporates a wide array of meteorological and crop phenotypic information. Driven by geospatial science and agricultural intelligence, the team has published over 20 academic papers and filed 8 invention patents related to the system and its core algorithms, setting a global benchmark in smart orchard management.
Professor Qian Shi (far right) conducting research and guidance in the orchard
“You can think of Feiniao as an intelligent steward of the orchard,” explained Professor Qian Shi. “From daily patrols to disease control, from boosting yield to improving fruit quality — it handles it all.”
On its first patrol flight, “Feiniao” begins by digitizing the orchard, assigning a unique geolocation point to each individual tree. From then on, the system can track the growth status of every single tree on a daily basis. Currently, Feiniao achieves up to 95% accuracy in detecting phenological changes and signs of pest or disease infestation.
Drone patrol and digital profiles of individual fruit trees
Unlike traditional crop protection drones, the Feiniao system integrates insights from agricultural experts across various disciplines, enabling it to provide tailored cultivation advice based on each tree’s growth status.. As the database grows with more recorded cases, the system is now capable of generating intelligent, experience-based prescriptions that match each orchard’s unique needs.
Platform automatically generates prescriptions for fruit tree care
In addition, Feiniao incorporates a comprehensive set of monitoring indicators, forming the first low-altitude digital cultivation standard pioneered by Shi’s team. For yield forecasting, the system combines drone-derived canopy surface area with flower cluster detection powered by intelligent algorithms to estimate production as early as the inflorescence stage, enabling farmers to plan and sell in advance. At the same time, by analyzing tree structure, canopy shape, and light-ventilation conditions, the system also supports quality assessment of lychee fruits..
Team members Fangjie Zhu and Hao Fu using drones to support orchard digitization
Team members Hao Fu and Jiajun Zhu conducting research
According to a 2024 report by People’s Daily, Baiqiao Village first adopted the Feiniao smart patrol system to inspect 750 mu (50 hectares) of lychee orchards daily—boosting efficiency by 500 percent compared to manual patrols.
The system now covers all 6,800 mu of orchards in the village, enabling round-the-clock monitoring and fully standardized management. Several orchards have now achieved an average 35% reduction in fertilizer and pesticide use, while increasing average yield by 20% and average selling price by another 20%.
The team jointly established the "SYSU–Baiqiao Science and Technology Innovation Workstation" in Gaozhou; Haoyang Li, a team member, is pictured on the far left.
“This has brought real, tangible benefits to our farmers,” said He Qing, Party Secretary of Baiqiao Village.
Beyond their efforts in Gaozhou, the team has implemented over 30 smart agriculture initiatives across 12 provinces in China and expanded their efforts to countries along the Belt and Road. By bringing Chinese agricultural solutions overseas, they are contributing Sun Yat-sen University’s expertise to the global pursuit of rural revitalization.
Team member Zhengyu Liu promoting eco-friendly pineapple cultivation practices in Indonesia
“At first, no one believed in what we were doing with Feiniao. People advised us to go back to school and focus on our studies.. But I believed the soil beneath our feet was the real classroom, and the farmers' needs were the real research questions,” said Haoyang Li .
After rounds of fieldwork and continuous technical refinement, Li and his teammates have a clearer goal in mind: To become pioneers and to see more smiles on the faces of growers.
