What should be noted in winter crop production 2019 in Nghe An?

Recognize reality to overcome difficulties

Winter crop production in Nghe An has become the main crop with a total area of ​​38,000 - 42,000 hectares per crop, including many other crops such as corn, vegetables, tubers, fruits, sweet potatoes, peanuts... Of which corn is the main crop, accounting for 23,000 - 24,000 hectares, contributing to the total annual food output in the province of 90,000 tons. Vegetables, tubers, and fruits of all kinds are produced each winter crop on 11,000 - 12,000 hectares, sold to the markets of many provinces in both the South and the North.

Farmers in Dien Thinh (Dien Chau) go to the fields to produce the winter crop. Photo: Canh Yen

Winter crop production in 2019 according to the plan of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development approved by the Provincial People's Committee, the whole province strives to plant 37,200 hectares of various crops. Of which: corn 22,000 hectares (including corn for grain 17,500 hectares, corn for livestock biomass 4,500 hectares), corn yield 45 quintals/hectare, output 78,750 tons; vegetables and beans of all kinds 12,000 hectares, average yield 145 quintals/hectare, output 174,000 tons, sweet potatoes 1,800 hectares, yield 130 quintals/hectare, output 15,600 tons, peanuts 1,400 hectares, yield 21 quintals/hectare, output 2,940 tons.

The plan is like that, but to achieve the target of the plan is not an easy thing, but to correctly identify the difficulties to overcome in the process of directing the implementation, that is the important thing to do to achieve the set target. So what are the main difficulties?

One:This year's storm season is likely to be complex and unpredictable. According to the forecast of the Central Hydrometeorological Service and the North Central Hydrometeorological Station, this year's storm season will come later than many years, with the number of storms that can directly affect the mainland about 4-5. Regarding rain, this year's rainy season (from late August to early November) may have rainfall 10-25% higher than the average of many years and there will be heavy rains that can easily cause flooding both locally and widely.

Quynh Luu farmers lost their 2017 winter peanut crop due to heavy rain. Photo: Viet Hung

Two:Winter crop production is greatly affected by weather and planting season. The weather is mainly rain, floods and storms. Therefore, if planted early, it is easy to lose everything due to heavy rain causing floods and even storms, especially in riverside alluvial land and 2-rice plain land. If planted late, it will affect the following spring crop. Therefore, there have been many cases of early harvest, especially corn, which reduces productivity and is very low in efficiency.

Three:This year's winter crop production is forecast to have warm weather, with average high temperatures of many years ranging from 1.0 - 1.5⁰C. Therefore there will be many harmful pests.

Highly efficient winter crop production solutions

The first:Regarding the crop structure and planting season, it is necessary to base on the terrain, high, low, and low; good and bad land; the production and intensive farming level of farmers; the ability to invest in production and the market demand for consumption of each type of product. On that basis, what crops to plant and when to plant.

Through monitoring many recent winter crop production seasons, it has been shown that the crop structure should be diversified with many different types of crops. Priority should be given to the production of vegetables, tubers, and fruits such as: mustard greens, cabbage, kohlrabi, tomatoes, potatoes, climbing beans, onions, garlic, squash, cucumbers, etc. These products have a short growing period, can be planted in many batches, in many seasons, have a long selling time, and have a wide consumption market.

Green squash plants bring high economic efficiency in Thanh Linh commune, Thanh Chuong district. Photo: Phu Huong

Regarding planting season, please note:

- For coastal alluvial land (the alluvial land east of Highway 1 from Vinh to Quynh Luu), this area has light sandy soil, and is rarely flooded when there is heavy rain. Therefore, the main crops are vegetables, tubers, fruits of all kinds and corn. Corn is both corn for grain for livestock and corn for food (waxy corn, sweet corn, young corn harvested to boil and sell to the market). On this land, pure corn can be sown, corn mixed with leafy vegetables such as: mustard greens, cabbage, kohlrabi... The earlier the planting season, the better.

- On the riverside alluvial land, the main structure is corn and vegetables, tubers and fruits. It is encouraged to plant corn mixed with vegetables, tubers and fruits. However, this area should only be planted at the end of the rainy season (from mid-October onwards) to avoid rising river water when there is heavy rain causing flooding and damage.

Growing winter corn in Quynh Tan commune (Quynh Luu). Photo: Nhu Thuy

- In the plains, planting should only be done in highlands that are less prone to flooding during heavy rains. Crops can be corn (corn for grain or corn for animal feed), sweet potatoes, squash, various vegetables... The planting season should be done after the summer-autumn rice crop has been harvested.

To grow corn on 2-rice land, it is important to note: sow corn in pots or make corn seedlings. When the corn plants have 2.5 - 3.0 leaves, take out the corn pots and corn seedlings for planting. This method is very good in corn growing areas on rice land after the summer-autumn harvest. With biomass corn, it must be sown 1.5 - 2.0 times thicker than corn grown for grain.

Monday:Do not plant winter crops because of the movement, because of the pressure of assigning planning targets from the top down. Once planted, there is intensive investment, once planted, there is certainty, once planted, there is efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange crops reasonably, sow and cultivate according to the instructions.

Winter cucumbers in Anh Son. Photo: Thai Hien

Tuesday:Be vigilant and proactive in preventing pests and rats. To do so, any crop must be planted in concentrated areas with clear planning to have good plans and protection measures before, during and after winter planting. Localities need to launch a movement for the whole population to participate in destroying rats in many different ways to prevent rat damage throughout the winter.

Regarding pests, be extremely cautious and detect fall armyworms as early as possible. If fall armyworms appear, report immediately to the district crop and plant protection station to organize prevention and eradication as soon as they appear.