Five Latest Measures for Quality and High-Yield Management of Rice in the Mid-to-Late Stage

After good early growth, rice enters the reproductive growth stage of the mid-to-late period. Strengthening field management at this stage is crucial to the yield and quality of rice.

Moderate field drying

Field drying should generally be carried out during the period when rice is not sensitive to water, that is, from the late tillering stage to the early young panicle differentiation stage, which is relatively suitable. The following principles should be followed during operation: fields with sufficient and vigorous seedlings should be dried appropriately earlier; those with deep mud foot and lodging tendency should be dried more heavily, and vice versa; fields with poor water retention should not be dried heavily.

Scientific irrigation 

The long panicle stage is the peak of physiological water demand in the whole life of rice, especially 2~14 days before heading, when it is most sensitive to water and must not lack water, so as not to affect spikelet differentiation and development. After field drying, re-irrigation should be done with shallow water and frequent irrigation, adopting the intermittent irrigation method of “old water not dry, new water not added.” Scientific irrigation after field drying not only greatly saves precious water resources, but also improves the soil ecological environment, maintains and enhances root activity, and facilitates the absorption and transport of nutrients. The irrigation method during the heading and grain-filling stage is: deep water at heading, shallow water at grain filling, moist cultivation for grain development, and drainage and drying about 5 days before harvest. Never cut off water too early, as this affects grain weight.

Skillful application of panicle and grain fertilizer 

Panicle fertilizer is generally applied after the start of young panicle differentiation, and the amount should be determined according to the field growth of rice. If the number of stems and tillers is too large and the leaf color is dark, apply less and later, with about 2.5~3 kg of urea per mu; if the number of stems and tillers is insufficient and the leaf color is yellow and uneven, apply early and heavily, with about 5 kg of urea per mu.

Increased application of grain fertilizer 

This is mainly to supplement the insufficiency of panicle fertilizer. The best application period for grain fertilizer is when the rice leaves can naturally turn lighter before the breaking stage, that is, topdressing 2~3 days before heading is appropriate. Grain fertilizer is generally best as urea, with about 2.5 kg applied per mu. However, fields with sufficient fertility, excessive growth, and dark leaf color should not apply grain fertilizer, to prevent delayed maturity due to excessive greenness, which affects yield and quality. To prevent premature senescence of plants after heading, foliar spraying should also be carried out at this time, spraying 1% urea solution or rice-specific foliar fertilizer, applied in the evening on sunny days, and sprayed on both the front and back sides of the leaves.

Pest and disease control 

In the mid-to-late growth stage of rice, the key pests and diseases to control include bacterial leaf blight, sheath blight, rice false smut, and the striped stem borer, yellow stem borer, and rice planthopper. These pests and diseases often occur in mixed form. According to this actual situation, pesticide mixing technology should be adopted for compound control. For example, when bacterial leaf blight, yellow stem borer, and other pests occur together, a mixed solution of yekuning and shachongshuang can be used for control, which saves labor and time and can also achieve good control results.