Nearly 40 percent of China's winter rapeseed planted in 2015

The national autumn harvest progress has accelerated compared with the earlier period. Over the next three days, most of the country is expected to see mainly fine weather, suitable for autumn harvesting and autumn planting. However, soil surface moisture continues to be persistently poor in parts of southern North China and northern Huang-Huai, and the southern part of the Southwest region will see frequent overcast and rainy weather.

At present, more than 60 percent of the national autumn harvest area has been harvested, with Henan finished, Hebei 95% harvested, Shandong 93%, Yunnan 70%, Gansu 68%, Shaanxi 67%, Shanxi 64%, Jilin 51%, Heilongjiang 50%, Jiangxi 27%, and Hunan 10%. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's crop situation dispatch, as of October 12, 64% of the national autumn grain had been harvested, 3.7 percentage points slower than the same period last year, with the lag narrowing; of this, mid-season rice (single-season rice) was 62% harvested, corn 71% harvested, and soybean 74% harvested. The main reason for the slower autumn harvest progress is that the frost period in the Northeast region was delayed and the weather was fine, which favored timely late harvesting of corn and rice in various places; at present, 55% of the autumn harvest has been completed there, 11 percentage points slower than the same period last year.

The planting progress of winter wheat and rapeseed is slightly faster than the same period last year. Most of the northern winter wheat region has entered the sowing stage, and winter wheat has already emerged in southeastern Northwest China, southwestern and northern North China, and the Shandong Peninsula. Among them, Gansu has sown 96%, Hebei 69%, Shandong 62%, Shanxi 60%, Shaanxi 48%, Henan 38%, and Anhui 21%. In eastern Southwest China, northern Jiangnan, Jianghan, and Jianghuai, rapeseed is at the sowing and emergence stage. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's crop situation dispatch, as of October 12, 39% of the national winter wheat had been sown and 37% of the winter rapeseed had been sown, with progress 2 percentage points faster than the same period last year.

From October 10-13, most of Northwest China, North China, and Huang-Huai saw mainly fine weather, and soil moisture in most of the wheat region was relatively suitable, favoring autumn harvesting and autumn planting; the Northeast region had light rain, which slightly affected the autumn harvest. Most of the Yangtze River Basin had fine weather, favoring autumn harvesting and rapeseed sowing and emergence; the southern part of the Southwest region had more overcast and rainy weather, which had a certain impact on the autumn harvest. Northern South China experienced cold-dew wind weather, while the south experienced heavy precipitation, which was unfavorable for late rice at the heading and flowering to early grain-filling stage.

According to forecasts from the Central Meteorological Observatory, from October 14-16, eastern Northwest China, North China, Huang-Huai, eastern Inner Mongolia, and most of the Northeast region will see mainly fine weather, favoring the harvesting and drying of autumn crops. Soil moisture in the wheat regions of eastern Northwest China, eastern and southwestern North China, and most of Huang-Huai is relatively good, favoring winter wheat sowing and emergence; however, soil surface moisture in parts of southern North China and northern Huang-Huai continues to be persistently poor, which is unfavorable for winter wheat sowing and emergence. Northern Xinjiang will have light to moderate rain, which is unfavorable for winter wheat sowing.

Jianghuai, Jianghan, eastern Jiangnan, and eastern South China will have fine weather, favoring autumn harvesting and rapeseed sowing and emergence. From the 14th to the 16th, the southern part of the Southwest region will see mainly overcast and rainy weather, which is unfavorable for crop harvesting and drying; on the 14th, Hainan will have light to moderate rain, which will have a certain impact on the maturation and harvest of late rice.

Experts advise that northern regions should seize the fine weather, speed up the autumn harvest progress, and do a good job in threshing, drying, and ventilated storage, striving to ensure every grain is harvested. The northern winter wheat region has entered the large-scale sowing stage, and all localities should promptly prepare the land, sow winter wheat in a timely manner by taking advantage of soil moisture or by creating soil moisture according to soil conditions, ensure sowing quality, and promptly inspect seedlings and replant in areas that have already been sown.

Jianghuai and eastern Jiangnan should seize the fine weather to harvest and dry mature crops in a timely manner; the southern part of the Southwest region should seize the gaps in precipitation to step up the autumn harvest. Rapeseed-producing areas in the Yangtze River Basin should sow direct-seeded rapeseed at the appropriate time, and areas that have already sown should carry out field water and fertilizer management to promote robust seedling growth.