Technical Opinions on Field Management of Rapeseed in Autumn and Winter Planting, proposed by the Planting Industry Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture

(Agricultural Wealth Network) Since the beginning of autumn this year, precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has generally been below normal, and severe drought has already developed in some areas; recent rainfall in Guizhou, southern Hunan and other places has alleviated the drought; Sichuan, Chongqing and other provinces and municipalities have received relatively more precipitation, with some waterlogging. To ensure the sowing and transplanting quality of rapeseed in this year's autumn and winter planting, the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center, together with the Oil Crops Expert Guidance Group of the Ministry of Agriculture, based on thorough investigation, proposes the following technical opinions on field management: 1. Seize the soil moisture and speed up direct seeding to ensure full emergence. Affected by drought, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River still have 10%-15% of plots waiting for moisture before sowing; these areas should do a good job of seedbed preparation, and once soil moisture is moderate, sowing should be carried out immediately, with the sowing rate per mu kept at 150-200 grams. For late-sown rapeseed, early-maturing varieties should be used as much as possible, and sowing should preferably be completed before the end of November, with the seed rate appropriately increased, and a sowing rate of 200-250 grams per mu is suitable. 2. Strengthen seedbed management to ensure sowing and transplanting quality. Strengthen the management of seedbed land, apply good "send-off fertilizer" before transplanting, improve seedling quality and transplanting quality, and as far as possible transplant large seedlings first and small seedlings later. For seedbeds sown earlier, it is recommended to spray paclobutrazol or uniconazole to control seedling growth; because drought has caused small and weak seedlings, density can be appropriately increased at transplanting, with a transplanting density after plowing of 8000-9000 plants per mu, and a no-till transplanting density of 10000-12000 plants per mu; for plowed direct seeding, thin to 20000-25000 plants per mu, and for no-till direct seeding, thin to 30000-35000 plants per mu; for paddy fields or dry land with better fertility, or where transplanted seedlings are of high quality, planting density can be appropriately reduced. Existing seedbeds should be used as much as possible, transplanting large seedlings while raising small seedlings, to expand the transplanting area and improve transplanting quality. 3. Strengthen field management to promote improvement of seedling condition. Direct-seeded fields should carry out gap filling and chemical weed control as early as possible. The earlier drought caused some direct-seeded plots to have missing seedlings and broken rows, so seedlings should be moved and reseeded as early as possible to ensure density, and chemical weed control should also be carried out in time, with one coordinated pest control treatment according to insect population density. Fields sown and transplanted early should be managed early to promote early development. Places with irrigation conditions should water early to combat drought, and promptly topdress to promote seedlings and shallow hoe and cultivate to conserve soil moisture. When early-sown and early-transplanted rapeseed reaches 6-8 green leaves per plant, attention should be paid to chemical regulation to prevent excessive growth. For late-transplanted and late-sown fields, fertilizer and water supply should be strengthened, and in combination with drought resistance, 4-6 kg of urea per mu should be broadcast, with an appropriate increase in boron fertilizer, to promote the improvement and upgrading of seedling condition. 4. Clear ditches and drain water in time to prevent waterlogging and flooding. In some areas of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River with more autumn rain, field ditches should be cleared in time so that the main ditch, surrounding ditch and bed ditch are all connected, drainage is smooth, field humidity is reduced, and waterlogging is prevented. This is especially true for direct-seeded rapeseed in paddy fields, where ditch clearing and drainage should be done even better. At the same time, before winter, cultivation should be carried out promptly to control weeds, improve soil aeration conditions, and promote root development.