Lingering cold is common for mid-April in Northeast China, but in an intelligent greenhouse operated by Hengtong Ecological Agriculture Technology Development Co, located at the Changchun National Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone in Jilin province, clusters of cherry tomatoes are already flourishing.

Rows of cultivation racks are neatly arranged, with tomato vines climbing several meters along ropes.

The cherry tomatoes hang like grapes, displaying a vibrant mix of red and green, while sensors silently work among the branches and leaves, collecting plant growth information and transmitting it to a big data platform.

Water, fertilizer, light, air and heat are all precisely monitored. Remote management can be completed with a single click, along with drip irrigation and automated control.

Covering 77,000 square meters, including the 36,000-square-meter planting center, the factory is a modern agricultural smart facility demonstration park project that Hengtong began constructing in 2024.

"The factory has an annual output of over 300 metric tons, with a stable daily output of one ton," said Xu Lihui, chairman of the company."It can achieve an overall yield three times that of open-field cultivation on the same area.

"Traditionally, the harvest period for cherry tomatoes lasts only about four months. However, in our factory, they can be harvested year-round. Even in the extremely cold winter in Northeast China, the branches remain laden with plump and vibrant cherry tomatoes."

Furthermore, the smart facilities are intensive and efficient, significantly increasing land productivity.

Using drip irrigation and automated environmental control technology, the factory automatically adjusts to precisely meet the crops' needs for light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and nutrients, via a central system.

"Thanks to the automated and intelligent precise control of the growth environment and cultivation in a sterile, soilless environment, the use of fertilizers and pesticides is reduced," said Xu. "Automated robots and vehicles scan the QR codes on the ground to navigate within the greenhouse and complete tasks assigned by the system."

The tomatoes grow in the sterile workshop under optimal conditions, from flowering to maturity. Their skins are thin and crisp, with abundant juice and natural sweetness.

According to Xu, the cherry tomatoes are popular with high-end supermarkets, membership-based fresh food stores and corporate custom clients in large cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province.

Expansion is already underway.

By the end of this year, a 42,000-square-meter plant factory will be built to cultivate high-quality vegetable, flower and medicinal herb seedlings and produce new varieties of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries for domestic and international markets, Xu said. A 24,000-square-meter science center will also open to the public.

Upon completion, the factory will provide around 300 job opportunities to the surrounding areas and also promote coordinated development of related industries such as transportation, tourism and catering, achieving a comprehensive improvement in economic, ecological and social benefits.