What are the three protections to carry out during the standard wheat growth stages?

@#@245@#@From sowing to harvest, wheat takes more than half a year, spanning the entire winter and spring, and entering the harvest season in early summer. In different seasons and at different stages of wheat growth, different natural disasters may be encountered. Therefore, disaster prevention and mitigation, and ensuring wheat quality, are crucial for increasing yield and income. Experts suggest that farmers should carry out the "three protections" during the wheat growing period:

First, protection against low-temperature freezing damage. The early stage of wheat growth goes through low-temperature rain and snow weather in winter. Moderate low-temperature rain and snow is very beneficial for killing pests, loosening the soil, increasing natural nutrients, and enhancing the cold resistance of wheat. However, sustained low temperatures then become a disaster, and different disaster-resistant measures must be taken. For production recovery after rain and snow freezing damage in the southwest and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River wheat regions, the main task is to drain water and reduce waterlogging; in the northwest and southern Huang-Huai wheat regions, the focus is on increasing temperature and preserving soil moisture, and promoting the upgrading and transformation of seedlings.

Second, protection against diseases, insects, and weeds. Diseases, insects, and weeds not only cause reduced yield, but also lower quality. For example, if diseased grains exceed the standard, the price will be deducted or they may even not be purchased. Therefore, preventing and controlling diseases and insects is key to increasing yield and income. Especially in southern wheat fields, where humidity is relatively high, wheat diseases and insects, wheat field weeds, and waterlogging damage often occur. It is necessary to formulate prevention and control plans, do a good job in forecasting and prediction, and strengthen unified control and unified prevention.

Third, protection against later-stage disasters. In the middle and late stages of wheat growth, lodging caused by strong winds, dry hot wind, and rain during the harvest period are the most harmful. Dry hot wind can damage the awns, spikes, leaves, and stems of wheat plants. The grains become shriveled and the thousand-grain weight decreases. It is necessary to apply more organic fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer, deepen the plow layer, select early-maturing varieties with strong stress resistance, use drought-resistant agents for seed dressing, and do a good job in the later-stage "one spray, three preventions."

When wheat is nearing harvest, it is also a season with relatively more overcast and rainy weather. If rainwater is not drained in time, it will not only cause waterlogging and reduce wheat yield, but also lower quality. If harvesting or threshing is not timely, the spikes may sprout, reducing wheat quality. During this period, in addition to clearing ditches and draining waterlogging, attention should be paid to timely harvesting, and mechanical harvesting should be used as much as possible. Manual harvesting, whether using stone rollers or mechanical threshing, will cause damaged grains and result in "imperfect grains." If imperfect grains exceed the standard, the price will be deducted.