Shifting focus to caring for the spring rice crop.

The agricultural sector and local authorities are focusing on directing farmers to organize thinning and replanting, combined with the first round of topdressing to help the spring rice crop grow and develop well.

Farmers in Dong Hung district are tending to their spring rice crop.

Concentrated planting season

This spring, Kien Xuong district planted 11,000 hectares of rice, of which approximately 4,530 hectares were planted by machine, accounting for 41% of the total planted area. This makes it the leading locality in the province in terms of the percentage of machine planting. Thanks to good preparation of seeds and agricultural supplies from the beginning of the season, and the promotion of mechanization and planting according to the seasonal schedule, the spring rice crops in the district are currently in the rooting and greening stage.

With three rice transplanters, Mr. Vu Ngoc Ha's family in Kien Xuong town planted 130 acres this spring, including 30 acres of rented or borrowed land and 100 acres for transplanting services for local people. Mr. Ha said: "Because the area of land is large, my family concentrates maximum manpower and resources on planting at the right time, prioritizing the land of other farmers. By removing small field boundaries and creating large plots, farmers reduce the labor involved in weeding the boundaries, and we also save on labor and fuel for moving the machines, making simultaneous planting easier."

According to the agricultural sector's assessment, the entire province concentrated its rice planting from February 10th to 20th. Generally, farmers in the 2024 spring crop basically adhered to the planting schedule, with fairly concentrated planting. By February 22nd, the entire province had essentially completed planting 74,384 hectares of rice, of which high-quality rice accounted for approximately 40,600 hectares (55% of the total planted area), including varieties such as Bac Thom No. 7, Dai Thom 8, T10, RVT, N97, Japanese rice, etc.; hybrid rice accounted for 3,523.5 hectares (4.74%), including mainly varieties such as CNR36, Thai Xuyen 111, Nhi Uu 838, Nhi Uu 63, etc. The remaining rice varieties are high-yielding purebred varieties: BC15, TBR1, TBR225... Early rice varieties are concentrated in Dong Hung and Hung Ha districts and are currently in the tillering stage, while the main spring rice crop is taking root, turning green, and producing new leaves. Agricultural product prices, especially rice prices, are high, increasing profits in agricultural production and positively impacting the desire to expand agricultural production, particularly large-scale crop production. The entire province has 120 communes with areas of linked production and consumption of products, totaling 5,604.75 hectares, of which the linked rice area reaches 5,170.57 hectares. Farmers in the province have actively used organic and microbial fertilizers such as Que Lam, Sumitri, Truong Son Bio, Azotobacterin... to improve soil and limit the occurrence of pests and diseases.

Shifting focus to caring for and protecting the spring rice crop.

Having completed transplanting rice seedlings to 35 hectares of his family's rice fields, Mr. Duong Cong Vinh from Quynh Trang commune (Quynh Phu district) is now busy with the next stage of care. Mr. Vinh said: "These days, taking advantage of the favorable weather, we are going to the fields to replant the rice seedlings that were transplanted before Tet. At the same time, we are irrigating the fields to apply the first round of fertilizers to help the rice plants recover quickly and produce strong tillers. In the spring crop, 'rice needs water as its clothing,' so we always maintain a shallow, even water level across the fields to help the rice tiller well, especially the newly transplanted rice, which quickly takes root and turns green. Along with that, we are simultaneously implementing measures to control rats and golden apple snails to protect the spring rice crop."

According to the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting, from mid- to the end of March, the weather in Northern Vietnam will turn warm and hot during the last two weeks of the month, reaching scorching temperatures in some areas. This is the time when the spring rice crop is tillering vigorously, and early-season rice may have a shorter growth and development period. In some areas, rice may flower within unsafe frames, reducing yield and value.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: The agricultural sector has assigned units and officials to coordinate with localities to assess the growth situation of rice crops and closely monitor weather developments to implement specific care measures. For large-scale rice crops that have recovered and started to sprout new leaves, topdressing with NPK compound fertilizers with high nitrogen content is necessary to promote tillering and concentrated growth; topdressing should be done before March 20th. For early-season rice crops, the fertilizer should be divided into two topdressing applications to avoid the rice flowering in April. Regularly maintain shallow water levels during the tillering stage to help the rice tiller early, vigorously, and concentratedly; do not let the field dry out, as this will affect the growth of the rice plant. When the rice has tillered completely, drain the water to allow the roots to crack, helping the rice plant to grow deeper and increase its resistance to lodging; in the later stages, maintain sufficient water for the rice plant to nourish the panicles and grains. Farmers should note that they should not apply fertilizer or use pesticides on crops when the temperature is below 15 ^° C.

Currently, rice blast disease is appearing on weeds, and it is predicted that the disease will appear early on rice and cause more severe damage than in previous spring seasons. The agricultural sector advises farmers to intensify field inspections to detect rice blast, white-backed planthopper, and black striped dwarf disease early, and to proactively prevent and control them while they are still in small areas.

Taking advantage of the favorable weather, Mr. Duong Cong Vinh from Quynh Trang commune (Quynh Phu district) is urgently thinning and replanting rice seedlings to ensure the correct density.

Ngan Huyen

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