As heavy smog continues to blanket Hebei Province in China, farmers have come up with a brilliant way to keep their crops and plants alive using electric lamps.

When smog covers the atmosphere, there is already no room for sunshine. Northern China has experienced persistent smog over the past few months. This has not only led to health troubles among humans but also growth problems in plants. 

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But farmers in Hebei have devised a way to provide their plants with enough light and sustain their lives by setting up lamps all over their vegetative sheds. The light  from the lamps is used to provide the sufficient amount of sunlight plants need in order to grow.

According to agricultural experts, electric lamps can add more yields, fasten growth cycle and protect plants from diseases, pests and insects. "Growing under lamps could make plants more hardy," Zhang Shusen, Yaluanwan Agricultural Park technician in Qian'an, said.

As the province is continuously affected by heavy smog, more farmers are embracing the idea and it has proven to be quite efficient. Cai Yanmei, a farmer in Qian'an, revealed she has been growing strawberries under the rays of artificial light from electric lamps. "The weather has been bad this winter. There wasn't enough sunshine before due to the smog and the plants didn't grow well," she said. 

Although experts were expecting clearer sky this winter, North China, in contrast, has been suffering from the bouts of smog. The bad weather has already disrupted traffic and even led to the suspension of classes. In November and December, China's capital city Beijing, which is close to Heibei, went 22 days with bad air.

TagsFarmers, smog, Hebei Province, artificial light