Guo said the air-powered heating equipment in his greenhouses — consisting of a main unit, a water storage tank, water connections, air outlets and other parts — can drive water circulation through a heat pump and uses 12 air outlets to deliver warm air into the entire greenhouse, achieving intelligent control of inside temperatures.

　　“This device can help winter jujubes to mature earlier and usher in a harvest in late June, three months earlier than traditional cultivation,“ said Li Bing, Party secretary of Xiahe.

　　“The No 1 central document has been giving us much strength each year, offering a new guide in technical advancement and new direction in rural vitalization,“ he said.

　　“In the next step, we will fully leverage the advantages of our characteristic agricultural industries such as greenhouse winter jujube, organic fruits and vegetables, and introduce advanced management technologies, improving the quality and efficiency of these industries, and bolstering farmers' income,“ Li added.

　　As the winter jujube industry is starting to become more developed through the use of smart technologies, efficient use of air-powered heating equipment is the future development path for the industry, said Meng Xianggui, a local expert in greenhouse winter jujube cultivation.

　　To reduce the growth cycle of winter jujubes and seek early harvests, Xiahe has helped upgrade 8,000 mu (533 hectares) of winter jujubes in the town and turned them into greenhouse cultivation.

　　“This year, with our newly installed air heating equipment in the greenhouse, the interior temperature can reach 25 C during daytime and remain around 10 C at night,“ Guo said, noting that he was pleased to see his winter jujube trees sprout during the Spring Festival holiday.