On July 23, 2026, the ‘Symposium on Synergistic Innovation in Agricultural Machinery and Agronomy to Empower the Revitalization of the Seed Industry’, initiated by the China Association for Science and Technology and hosted by the Chinese Society of Agricultural Machinery, was held at the China Science and Technology Convention Center in Beijing. Lili Zhang, Senior Agronomist and CRO of Shandong Province Seeds Group Co., Ltd., attended the meeting on behalf of Researcher Changyong Shao, the company’s chairman, and joined experts from research institutions and seed industry equipment companies to explore pathways for the integrated development of the seed industry, agricultural machinery, and agronomy.

This seminar closely aligned with the agricultural science and technology strategy outlined in the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’, focusing on industry pain points such as bottlenecks in seed industry equipment, insufficient integration of agricultural machinery and agronomy, and shortcomings in seed processing. The event featured keynote speeches, specialized workshops, and on-site visits to industrial parks. Industry experts shared cutting-edge findings on intelligent equipment for seed production and propagation, field weed control in hybrid rice cultivation, and mechanized breeding plot technologies, while participants engaged in in-depth discussions on key technologies such as zero contamination of germplasm and intelligent seed processing.

At the meeting, Lili Zhang, a senior agronomist, discussed with industry experts feasible pathways for joint research and the commercialization of research outcomes, focusing on common industry challenges such as mechanisms for industry-academia-research collaboration, full mechanization in the seed industry, the integration of high-quality seeds with optimal cultivation practices, and the development of an integrated evaluation system for seed production that combines agricultural machinery and agronomic practices.

The conference clearly mapped out the innovation tracks for seed industry equipment during the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ period, established a cross-disciplinary exchange platform for breeding, agronomy, and equipment, and created opportunities for the company to tap into research resources and collaborate on the development of a new generation of intelligent seed processing production lines. This conference charted a clear course for the company’s innovative development. Building on the outcomes of this symposium, Shandong Province Seeds Group Co., Ltd. will prioritize the synergy between agricultural machinery and agronomy as a core strategy to enhance seed production efficiency, ensure seed quality, and reduce production costs. By leveraging innovations in modern physical seed industry technologies to improve germplasm utilization efficiency, the company aims to contribute to the revitalization of the seed industry and the safeguarding of food security.

Senior Agronomist Lili Zhang also joined the delegation on a visit to the Dabeinong Phoenix International Innovation Park and the Digital and Intelligent Plant Factory at the Beijing Agricultural Machinery Research Institute.