Nghe An farmers urgently close spring rice area

Focus on taking care of spring rice

After days of severe cold, taking advantage of the warmer weather, farmers in Thanh Khai commune (Thanh Chuong) are going to the fields to sow and take care of the spring rice crop. Mr. Van Dinh Hoa's family in Ngoc Chua hamlet has 3 sao of rice, sowing from the 22nd of the 12th lunar month.

Mr. Hoa said: “Thanks to the sufficient water, the rice plants still grow green, however, on very cold days, the rice grows very slowly. When the weather warms up, after pruning, I focus on fertilizing and caring for the rice plants to grow.”

When the weather warms up, Mr. Van Dinh Hoa's family (Thanh Chuong) goes to the fields to prune and take care of the rice. Photo: Phu Huong

Nearby, Mrs. Van Thi Ly's family's 5 sao of rice was also transplanted on February 5. A week before transplanting, she removed the plastic to let the seedlings get used to the environment and outside temperature. At the same time, she sprayed pesticides and fertilized with ash to keep the seedlings warm, thanks to which the seedlings were quite healthy.

“There are many households that sow rice directly in this field, but I only plant seedlings to prevent the rice from dying in the case of extreme cold. This year, the cold has been constant, so the seedlings are weak, but after being planted in the field, the rice is taking root, turning green, and growing well,” Ms. Ly shared.

Ms. Van Thi Ly in Thanh Khai commune (Thanh Chuong) plants seedlings to prevent direct-sown rice from freezing. Photo: Phu Huong

Drawing on years of experience in the field, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien in Nam Giang Commune (Nam Dan) prepared a reserve source of seeds using short-term rice varieties. However, thanks to their good cold resistance, that source of seeds was not needed. With a fairly abundant source of manure from raising cows and pigs, on the cold days after Tet, she and her husband fertilized the rice to keep it warm. Thanks to that, her family's 7 sao of rice was not only safe but also grew quite well.

Prevent pests and diseases

Up to now, the whole province has planted over 85,000 hectares of rice out of the planned 91,000 hectares. According to the province's crop schedule, rice planting will end on February 10; currently, many localities have basically completed spring rice planting such as Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Tan Ky, Quynh Luu..., The remaining spring rice area is mainly concentrated in the districts: Nghi Loc, Quy Hop, Que Phong...

Right from the beginning of the spring rice crop, the province has experienced severe cold spells, with temperatures sometimes dropping below 10 degrees Celsius, causing some rice areas, especially direct-sown rice, to grow and develop poorly.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hien's family in Nam Giang commune (Nam Dan) fertilizes rice plants with manure to help keep them warm. Photo: Phu Huong

Currently, the weather is getting warmer, in localities in the province, farmers are focusing on closing the fields, weeding, stirring mud and fertilizing the rice.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, currently in the fields, early rice fields have been tillering, while some fields have just been planted. Therefore, farmers need to review and classify the fields to have appropriate care measures for each field, fertilize in a balanced manner at the right time and with the right techniques, helping the rice plants grow well, increasing their resistance to pests, diseases and adverse weather conditions.

Nam Dan Irrigation Enterprise ensures water source for planting and caring for spring rice. Photo: Phu Huong

“The fact that farmers are focusing on fertilizing, combined with cloudy and foggy weather, creates very favorable conditions for pests and diseases to arise and cause damage. It is necessary to regularly visit the fields, monitor the emergence, development and damage of pests and diseases to have timely treatment measures,” Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc recommended./.