Whats new on the autumn-winter rice crop in River Delta?

Farmers in the central provinces of the River Delta region have been sowing for the autumn-winter rice crop in 2021 when avoiding planthopper and salinity for the coming winter-spring crop.

Mekong Delta farmers are cleaning their fields to prepare for rice production in the 2021 crop year. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.

Dodging planthoppers and flood

An Giang province has harvested 25-30% of the summer-autumn rice crop in the total sowing area of 228,479 ha. However, the agriculture industry gave out a scenario of sowing for the autumn-winter crop to ensure good results amidst the coming flood season.

Director Nguyen Si Lam of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in An Giang said that the province will sow over 162,000 ha for 643 subregions, of which 421 subregions will be embraced by dyke for thorough flood control, ensuring safe production, ensuring safe production.

The simultaneous, concentrated, and avoid planthopper sowing schedule is divided into 2 phases, starting from July 15 to September 10. Depending on the situation of brown planthoppers entering the light traps in each locality, there is a specific sowing schedule. However, it is necessary to adhere to mass sowing, focus, avoid leafhoppers and follow the general seasonal schedule of the province.

Deputy Director Le Huu Toan of the department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Kien Giang said that the unit built two scenarios according to the weather condition, hydrometeorology, pandemics, and market signals, to increase or decrease the appropriate production area.

In a positive condition, Kien Giang province will increase the area of autumn-winter rice crop in 2021 by 10,000 hectares, reaching a total area of 83,000 hectares. The additional area is concentrated in the districts located in the planning area for rice production in the province, ensuring a safe dike system in the flood season.

For Vinh Long, Nguyen Vinh Phuc - Director of the Sub-Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection said the province also deploys the seasonal arrangement in the direction of focusing on “avoiding planthoppers and salinity” for the winter-spring rice crop in the coming 2021-2022.

The agriculture industry recommends that farmers sow simultaneously in each area and sow in a concentrated manner, ending early from 7 to 10 days per batch in the same field. During field visits, farmers should combine with the monitoring of brown planthopper data into the lights, focusing on the middle of the month (from day 12 to 17).

Improve quality, reduce risks

Currently, farmers in Can Tho city have sown early autumn-winter rice plants on over 40,000 hectares. However, the production situation was not favorable this season. Prices of rice are falling. Besides, forecasts from specialized agencies warned that the water level is likely to rise due to upstream floods.

In response to the situation, Can Tho warned the local farmers to stay consistent in using high-qualified rice variety namely OM5451, OM18, avoid sowing variety IR50404. Besides, farmers are also warned of early return of floodwater this year, in the rice production area of the north of Cai San, it is necessary to sow early and harvest safely before September of the lunar calendar.

On the other hand, due to the increasing price of fertilizer, farmers are suggested to focus on production in line with quality improvement, building the reputation of the rice commodity sector.

In the autumn-winter crop, the agricultural sector recommends that farmers must follow the "4 accurate" principle: accurate medicine, accurate dose, accurate time and accurate way when spraying, collecting pesticide packaging after using to limit environmental pollution.

Particularly, An Giang province has focused on promoting high-quality rice production for many years, so this year's autumn-winter crop, the whole province strives to use over 80% of high-quality rice varieties such as OM 9582, Dai Thom 8, OM 5451, OM 7347, OM 6976, OM 18, Jasmine 85, OM 9577, OM4900, OM38…

These are the varieties that have been purchased by businesses at high prices and on the onward trends. Therefore, the provincial agricultural sector recommends that farmers produce these varieties in the autumn-winter season of 2021.

Notably, the province has a total rice production and consumption area of 64,825ha this season, accounting for 28% of the sowing area with 27 companies and enterprises participating in the link.

In this autumn-winter crop, An Giang's agricultural sector creates favorable conditions and continues to maintain these businesses to link with farmers to consume rice.

Measures to manage cultivation

Currently, the batch of rice plants in the early autumn-winter crop is in the period of seeding. The rainy weather creates favorable conditions for fungal attacks. To effectively manage rice cultivation, the agricultural authority in Vinh Long province recommended that for areas of summer-autumn rice that have been harvested, the fields need to be cleaned and treated. Trichoderma mushroom helps the straw to decompose quickly to limit organic poisoning.

Farmers should monitor the migration of planthoppers to have a plan to sow autumn-winter rice crops to focus on "avoiding" effectively according to the local recommended schedule. Apply integrated farming methods at the beginning of the crop to manage pests such as golden apple snail, creek, mouse, weeds, and blast among others.

Immediately stop the application of nitrogen fertilizers, increase the application of fertilizers containing Silicon, Calcium, absolutely do not combine spraying foliar fertilizers containing nitrogen in combination with pesticides. In using antibiotics, it is necessary to alternate drugs to achieve greater effectiveness.