How can drought-relief technical measures be put into practice? Agricultural experts explain
“The 15th day of the seventh month determines drought or flood; the 15th day of the eighth month determines the harvest.” However, since the beginning of summer, 12 provinces and regions including Henan, Shaanxi and Hebei have been repeatedly hit by drought. Recently, Mei Xurong, head of the disaster prevention and mitigation expert steering group of the Ministry of Agriculture and director of the Science and Technology Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said in an interview with reporters: “If the subtropical high keeps refusing to move northward, it may cause relatively severe summer drought in the Huang-Huai region, because our crops are at a critical stage of growth and development and yield formation.”
Mei Xurong suggested that we should continue to pay attention to the development of the drought, and in particular do a good job of medium- and long-term forecasting. We should make full preparations for drought relief, whether by water-conservancy methods, agronomic methods or chemical drought-relief methods, and choose technologies suited to these regions to do a good job of drought prevention and relief. In dryland areas, the immediate task is to preserve soil moisture, and some chemical drought-relief technologies, such as antitranspirants, can be appropriately considered. In areas with irrigation conditions, we should do our best to allocate water resources well, carry out timely water-saving irrigation as far as possible, and reduce the impact caused by water shortage. In some areas, if the medium- and long-term drought continues, we should consider whether there are emergency crops that can be replanted after a total crop failure.
Securing a bumper harvest is a routine issue. So in the long run, how should we respond?
⟦NL> Mei Xurong believes that, first, we should do a good job of risk zoning for crops. In these areas where drought occurs nine years out of ten, crops should be laid out and adjusted according to their rainfall patterns.
Second, we should strengthen the construction of farmland infrastructure, including the building of soil fertility and the construction of irrigation facilities. “Soil itself is a reservoir; it can store more water. When consecutive droughts occur, having good basic soil fertility and irrigation conditions is a very important aspect of our being in an invincible position,” Mei Xurong said.
Third, we should ensure the implementation rate of a series of tillage and cultivation measures.
“Spring drought is the most common in our country. A few years ago, when wheat was growing and encountered drought, we carried out surveys and found that when a series of cultivation technologies were in place, drought did not occur. If sowing quality is not up to standard and management is also not up to standard, drought often occurs. In other words, whether agricultural technical measures are in place or not makes a completely different degree of drought. This is related to sowing quality, sowing depth, and the implementation rate of compaction techniques. Under the same drought conditions, others may see little impact, while the impact on your side may be very great.” Mei Xurong stressed that dealing with drought must be done in ordinary times, and one cannot embrace Buddha's feet only at the last moment.
Fourth, once a severe disaster occurs, various resources and forces should be promptly mobilized for emergency disaster relief, and disaster-resistant and disaster-reducing technologies should be promptly applied in drought-stricken areas, so as to recover some losses.
Mei Xurong believes that whether it is technology or measures, the key is still to “put them into practice”: first, we must understand the laws, follow the laws, and have a kind of awe toward nature, and not plant blindly. Second, scientific research departments are required to make these technologies lightweight and simplified. For example, a single field operation, or the input of a simple technical product, can be put in place. There is also the issue of the technology penetration rate. Farmers must be made aware of this technology, and it must also be demonstrated for them so that they can see the effects, so that ordinary people can see that these technologies work.
“We still emphasize that agricultural production disasters should focus on prevention. From layout, to the daily implementation rate of technology, all the way to emergency disaster relief, if this combination of moves can be played well, we can calmly cope with disasters.” Mei Xurong said.