Winter wheat planting generally assured; some areas may see consecutive autumn-winter drought

Right now, winter wheat planting is about to get underway on a large scale across the country. In order to effectively improve winter wheat planting quality, cultivate strong seedlings before winter, and lay a solid foundation for next year's summer grain harvest, the Ministry of Agriculture recently issued the "2015-2016 Technical Guidance on Wheat Autumn and Winter Planting."

Overall, since July this year, the main wheat-producing areas across the country have received relatively abundant rainfall, soil moisture reserves are generally sufficient, and the previous crops have grown and developed normally, so timely sowing is assured in most areas. However, some areas in the northwest have received less rainfall, and surface soil moisture is insufficient. At the same time, the meteorological department predicts that, affected by El Nino, precipitation in the northern winter wheat region during autumn and winter will be lower than normal, temperatures will generally be on the high side, and some areas may experience consecutive autumn-winter drought, which is unfavorable for winter wheat sowing and emergence and for safe overwintering.

Specifically for each region: the Huang-Huai and northern winter wheat region is the largest winter wheat-producing area in China. The main factor affecting wheat production is the shortage of water resources, with frequent natural disasters such as drought, freezing injury, and dry hot winds, and relatively severe damage from stripe rust, sheath blight, powdery mildew, and fusarium head blight. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River winter wheat region, the main factors affecting wheat production are waterlogging damage and high-temperature forced ripening, with pre-harvest sprouting occurring from time to time, and relatively severe damage from fusarium head blight, powdery mildew, sheath blight, and stripe rust. In the southwest winter wheat region, the main factors affecting wheat production are insufficient sunshine, abundant rain, heavy fog, and few clear days. It also faces unfavorable factors such as early-stage wet damage, winter-spring drought, late-stage high temperatures, and harvest-time rain. It is one of China's main areas where wheat stripe rust oversummers and overwinters, and stripe rust damage is severe. In the northwest winter wheat region, the main factors affecting wheat production are poor soil and drought with little rain. At the same time, some areas in Gansu and Xinjiang are among China's main areas where wheat stripe rust oversummers and overwinters, having a relatively large impact on the safety of wheat production.