Nghe An farmers go to the fields in the cold
(Baonghean.vn) - The days leading up to Tet are bitterly cold, but farmers in many localities still go to the fields to sow rice and protect the areas of seedlings that have been sown.
Anti-cold, anti-mouse
Late afternoon on the 27th of Tet, in the freezing weather, Mr. Luu Van Han in Hung Dao commune, Hung Nguyen district still went to the field to sow 3 sao of spring rice. "I know that the weather is so cold, the rice will fall precariously and will easily die, but I can't not sow it because it has been soaked for a whole week now, the buds will grow long and if left any longer it will spoil. If it gets too cold, I will add more ash," Mr. Han said.
Not only in Hung Nguyen, but currently in many localities, especially the southern districts of the province such as Nam Dan, Nghi Loc, up to Do Luong, even the key rice districts such as Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu..., many households do not plant rice seedlings to plant spring rice but sow rice.
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Mr. Luu Van Han in Hung Dao commune, Hung Nguyen district sows rice in cold and rainy weather. Photo: Phu Huong |
To prevent rats from destroying the rice, despite the cold and rain these past few days, Mr. Nguyen Van Chat in Hamlet 1, Nam Giang Commune, Nam Dan District still goes to the field every day. His family has 9 sao of rice, which was sown on the 22nd of the 12th lunar month. After sowing, he spread plastic around the field to prevent rats from destroying the rice. While checking and patching the plastic that was blown up by the wind, he took the opportunity to say: This season there are a lot of rats and insects, and the weather is drizzling and cold, so I am very worried that the newly sown rice will die.
"If we sow rice, we can cover it with plastic to protect against the cold, but for the past few years, everyone has been sowing rice in this field, so we have to follow suit even though the rice has been damaged many times," said Mr. Nguyen Van Chat.
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Mr. Nguyen Van Chat spreads plastic around his field to prevent rats from destroying newly sown rice. Photo: Phu Huong |
Even with ash, the entire 9 sao of rice field cannot be fertilized, so Mr. Chat only has a way to keep the water level moderate and necessary in the field to keep the rice warm, and at the same time reserve a source of short-term rice seeds so that if necessary, he can continue sowing after the full moon of January.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection: Sowing can help farmers save time and labor in the early stages, but it is difficult to protect spring rice from the cold. Therefore, within the resources available, farmers need to try to find ways to keep young rice plants warm, not to add too much water or they will be damaged, but must ensure enough water in the field furrows to keep the rice plants warm, and add more ash if necessary.
The weather continues to be cold
From the afternoon and night of January 15, the weather in Nghe An will turn cold, with severe cold in mountainous areas, with temperatures dropping sharply, commonly 11 - 14oC. In such conditions, spring rice, which has just begun its production season, especially newly planted rice and seedlings, will be very susceptible to damage.
In areas where seedlings have been sown, farmers must strictly follow the technique of covering with plastic to prevent rats from damaging them and especially to protect the seedlings from the cold when the temperature drops sharply; keep enough water in the furrows to keep the seedlings warm; if it is very cold, add more wood ash to keep the seedlings' feet warm. Absolutely do not sow on days when the temperature drops below 16oC.
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Farmers in Dien Chau district cover spring rice seedlings with plastic to protect them from the cold. Photo: Phu Huong |
For rice fields that have been planted, it is necessary to maintain a water level of 2-3 cm above the field; for newly planted fields, if the temperature drops too low and the rice plants change color, it is necessary to add more phosphorus; after about 10 days of planting and when the roots begin to take root, farmers can add more potassium to stimulate root development, increase resistance so that the rice plants can recover quickly, and increase their ability to withstand adverse weather conditions.
Mr. Nguyen Truong Thanh - Head of the Provincial Irrigation Department said: According to the forecast of the North Central Hydrometeorological Station, from now until the end of Tet, the North Central region will be cold, especially in mountainous areas, with severe cold, and in high mountainous areas the temperature may drop below 3oC.
To serve spring crop production in such harsh weather conditions, the Department has recommended and directed localities and irrigation units, especially units exploiting irrigation works, to take measures to ensure sufficient water supply for people to take care of and keep rice warm, avoiding damage to spring crops.