China
April 07, 2011
By Jiang Na
www.farmer.com.cn
It is learned from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) that now it is the peak time for raising early rice seedlings in South China and south of the Yangtze River. In spite of the delayed sowing due to the unspoken spell of overcast and rainy weather and low temperature in mid-to-late March, producers nationwide have soaked seeds promptly and sowed in sunny days. Through these efforts, as of March 31, the total area for raising early rice seedlings across the country has mounted to 69.4 million mu (about 4.6 million ha), representing 72.1 percent of the target area. By and large, the production has been going smoothly.
It is also reported that work continues on “changing the single-crop rice to double-crop rice” and the intended planting area is increasing while keeping stable. The national intended planting area of early rice is expected to reach 88.69 million mu (about 5.9 million ha), an increase of 1.75 million mu (about 0.12 million ha) or 2.02 percent over last year. The application of quality seeds and efficient planting methods have been extended, and the direct seeding area of early rice has seen a slight decline, by 380, 000 mu (about 25,000 ha) and 6.4 million mu (about 427,000 ha) respectively in Jiangxi and Hunan provinces.
MOA called on agricultural agencies at all levels to strengthen measures in their all-out efforts to promote stable growth of early rice production. First, do a good job ensuring the area of early rice. Producers in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River should make full use of favorable weather conditions to sow, and those in South China should transplant seedlings in due time, so as to ensure the realization of intended early rice planting area. Second, strengthen technological guidance: we must vigorously promote intensive raising of rice seedlings and regulate temperatures with water to grow strong seedlings; adopt appropriately close planting and promote mechanized operation of transplanting, with a view of guiding farmers to reduce direct seeding area and raise the quality of transplanting. Third, take large-scale efforts to increase the production of early rice. We should give full play to the exemplary role of demonstration sites of high-yield rice and increase the early rice production over large areas in a balanced way. Fourth, do a good job preventing and reducing disasters and controlling pests and diseases. We should draw up sound emergency plans to prevent disasters like “late spring coldness” and control major diseases and pests such as rice stripe virus, rice planthopper, rice leaf-roller and rice blast, intensify efforts for monitoring and early warning, and vigorously adopt professional, unified prevention and control measures to efficiently reduce the losses caused by diseases and pests.
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