Some things to note in intensive rice seedling cultivation in spring 2012 - 2013
(Baonghean) - In the spring crop in Nghe An, short-term varieties are mainly planted, and the planting season is during the coldest period of the year, so protecting seedlings from the cold is a regular task for farmers.
To produce the 2013 spring crop successfully, the first thing is to cultivate the seedlings well. In the spring crop, the seedlings should not be sown directly but should be sown thickly and covered with plastic for transplanting. The seedlings should be irrigated proactively. When it is very cold, water should be added at night and drained during the day.
Fertilizer for rice seedlings: Amount of fertilizer for 1 sao (500m2)
500-600kg of decomposed manure, 15-20kg of lime powder, 20kg of superphosphate, 4-5kg of potassium
How to fertilize: Apply lime powder when plowing the first time, apply manure, phosphorus, and potassium when making beds, divide the beds evenly and then apply, apply repeatedly until even, after fertilizing, rake and turn evenly, cover deeply and then sow, crush phosphorus and potassium into small pieces before applying, do not apply in lumps.
Seedling sowing technique:
- 1.2m wide seedling bed, 1m bed surface, 20cm wide and 20cm deep furrows, flat bed surface with no standing water.
- Seed quantity: Hybrid rice 1 sao 30-40 kg dry rice, pure rice 1 sao 40-50 kg dry rice.
- The amount of seeds is divided equally among the beds before sowing. In spring, the seeds are sown heavily so that they sink into the soil.
- Watering: After sowing, the seedling field must be kept moist, absolutely do not let the bed surface crack.
- When encountering severe cold, the following measures must be applied to protect seedlings from the cold:
+ It is best to use nylon to cover the seedling beds.
+ Add water at night and drain water during the day.
+ Sprinkle 12 - 13kg of ash per sao, should use ash from burning straw and rice husks.
Nylon covering technique for plating:Covering with plastic not only keeps the seedlings warm for normal growth, but also protects them from wind and dew, protecting them from birds and mice. After sowing, the seedlings must be planted in a frame. The frame must be made of bamboo or bamboo, split into small pieces and smoothed, cut 20 cm longer than the width of the plastic, and the two ends are sharpened. One person holds the bundle of cuttings and walks on one side of the bed, planting one end of the cuttings, another person walks on the other side of the bed, using a curved stick to plant the other end of the cuttings, creating a semicircle with the top about 50 cm from the surface of the bed. After planting the frame, stretch the plastic. The plastic needs to be cut in sections according to the length of the bed. The distance between the planted cuttings is 30 - 40 cm. On cold days, keep the plastic tightly closed to keep the seedlings warm for normal growth. On mild sunny days, if the temperature gradually rises, open the plastic at both ends to allow ventilation and cover it again in the evening. On hot sunny days with high temperatures, open it slowly until it is completely opened to balance the temperature inside and outside. Remove the plastic wrap slowly 3 days before transplanting and spray the seedlings with growth stimulants such as KH, K-Humat... to enhance root development and photosynthesis.
Nguyen Thi Lam (Provincial Agricultural Extension Center)
