Caring for and protecting the spring rice crop.

Currently, farmers in the province have basically finished planting the spring rice crop of 2024 and are actively implementing measures to care for and fertilize the rice plants to promote growth and development.

Caring for and protecting the spring rice crop. Farmers in Tuong Van commune (Nong Cong district) are tending to their spring rice crop.

In the spring of 2024, Ngoc Lac district planted 3,000 hectares of rice, mainly high-yield, high-quality hybrid rice varieties such as: Thai Xuyen 111, QL301, VT 404, Quoc Te 1, VT 868, Thuy Huong 308, Long Huong 8117, Phuc Thai 168, Nhi Uu 838, Nhi Uu 986, TBR 225, MHC2, ADI 28... Thanks to good preparation of seeds and agricultural supplies from the beginning of the season and planting according to the correct seasonal schedule, at this time the spring rice crops in the district are in the rooting, greening, and tillering stages.

Ms. Pham Thi Luong from Kien Tho commune (Ngoc Lac district) said: “These days, taking advantage of the favorable weather, we farmers are going to the fields to replant rice seedlings that were planted before Tet. At the same time, we are weeding, stirring the mud, and bringing water into the fields to apply the first round of fertilizers to help the rice plants recover quickly and tiller vigorously. In the spring crop, 'rice needs water as its clothing,' so we always maintain a shallow and even water level across the fields to help the rice tiller well, especially the newly sown and transplanted rice quickly take root and turn green again. Along with that, we are implementing measures to control rats and golden apple snails to protect the spring rice crop.”

As of February 15th, the entire province had planted 108,319.8 hectares of spring rice, reaching 96.3% of the plan. This includes 100,833.2 hectares of transplanted rice and 7,486.6 hectares of direct-seeded rice. The early spring rice crop, planted before the Lunar New Year in the districts of Trieu Son, Thieu Hoa, Yen Dinh, Dong Son, Nong Cong, etc., is currently in the tillering stage, and farmers are carrying out care measures such as thinning, weeding, and soil aeration. After the Lunar New Year, the weather has been generally favorable, and farmers have promptly implemented care measures, resulting in good growth and development of the spring rice crop.

According to the agricultural sector report, 75% of the rice crop in the province is currently turning green and beginning the tillering stage. However, 25% of the late spring rice crop, newly transplanted after the Lunar New Year in districts such as Hoang Hoa, Nga Son, and Hau Loc, is still in the rooting stage, resulting in slow growth. To ensure the growth and development of the 2024 spring rice crop and achieve high yields, the agricultural sector recommends that farmers maintain a water level of approximately 3-4 cm for transplanted rice and 1-2 cm for direct-seeded rice to facilitate tillering. Towards the end of the tillering stage, farmers should drain the water and let the fields dry for about 7 days to limit tillering, then introduce water to a depth of about 7-10 cm to facilitate panicle formation. The agricultural sector also advises farmers to absolutely avoid water shortages, drought, or flooding during the tillering and panicle formation stages. Regularly inspect and reinforce field and plot embankments to proactively regulate water levels appropriately throughout the rice plant's growth process.

Mr. Trinh Van Chat, Head of the Crop Production Department, Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said: When the weather is favorable, all rice crops must be fertilized early. Farmers should choose NPK fertilizers specifically for fertilization to increase root development, help rice tiller early, and achieve high effective tillers. Following the principle of "heavy at the beginning, light at the end," farmers should increase the use of organic fertilizers, microbial organic fertilizers, bio-organic fertilizers, and composted fertilizers from agricultural by-products to reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers and lower production costs. When fertilizing, farmers need to adhere to the "5 correct and one balanced" principles, follow the manufacturer's instructions, and ensure suitability for each rice variety. The warm, sunny weather in recent days has been favorable for the growth and development of spring rice, but it also creates conditions for many pests and diseases to develop and cause damage. Therefore, farmers need to regularly inspect their fields, monitor, and control pests and diseases promptly. When detecting pests and diseases affecting rice crops, it is necessary to apply the IPM (Integrated Pest Management) process in the use of pesticides and follow the "four correct principles" to reduce production costs and protect the ecological environment.

Text and photos: Le Hoi

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