Nghe An farmers cover rice seedlings with plastic to keep them warm

From the end of December 2021, farmers in Nghe An began sowing spring rice seedlings. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Old farmer Pham Viet Binh, farmer of hamlet 10, Xuan Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) said: This spring, his family planted 4 sao of rice fields. From December 28, together with the neighbors, his family planted rice seedlings in the cold weather. To protect the seedlings from the cold, in addition to sprinkling ash from the stove, Mr. Binh also bought plastic, bought sticks, covered the rows of seedlings, and placed rat poison bait.

“While the price of fertilizers and some agricultural materials is increasing, if we have to sow seedlings over and over again, it will increase the cost, so we have to do it right, especially the sowing stage, because healthy seedlings will grow quickly after being planted,” Mr. Binh shared.

Many households in Xuan Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) in addition to covering the seedling beds with plastic, also surround the seedlings with plastic to limit the entry of rats. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Observations on other fields in the districts of Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Do Luong... show that farmers prepare the soil carefully, mainly using composted organic fertilizers and covering them carefully with plastic. According to Mr. Le The Hieu - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Dien Chau district, theplastic coatingCovering seedlings has been done by farmers for many years, so most families have experience in covering with plastic properly, from the step of inserting the sticks to covering and pinching the plastic so that it is tight and does not tear or have open edges.

Yen Thanh district plans to plant over 12,500 hectares of rice this spring. The district recommends that farmers do not sow rice, but instead encourage agricultural service cooperatives to open tray planting services to reduce costs and limit the impact of weather on seedlings. If farmers sow rice for transplanting, 100% of the area must be covered with plastic to protect against cold and damage from birds and mice.

Rice seedlings are carefully covered with plastic by farmers. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection recommends: In winter, unusual weather, severe cold, and frost can occur for a long time, along with damage from birds and rats.

Therefore, properly covering with plastic can prevent birds, mice and poultry from damaging the seedlings; the temperature inside the covered seedling beds is always 3-4 degrees higher than the outside ambient temperature.^oC, helps seedlings have favorable conditions to grow; at the same time, use organic fertilizer whensow, should not use chemical fertilizers.

According to information from localities, 100% of spring rice seedlings are covered with plastic to protect against cold and to prevent damage from rats and birds. Photo: Xuan Hoang

When the temperature during the day warms up above 24 degrees Celsius, farmers need to open both ends of the plastic bag for ventilation, and cover it again in the evening to avoid the cold; when the seedlings are 15-18 days old, they can be planted. For seeds, before soaking and incubating, farmers need to remove empty seeds and use quality seeds for healthy seedlings. When covering seedlings with plastic, farmers should choose products with high flexibility to avoid tearing by the wind./.