Technical Guidance for Rice Management in the Early and Middle Stages of This Year

I. Characteristics of Rice Production This Year

1. Large mechanical transplanting area and high transplanting quality.

According to reports from all towns, the city's mechanical transplanting area is 173,500 mu, accounting for 81% of the rice area, with high transplanting density, few missing hills or gaps, and suitable basic seedlings. Seedling condition monitoring data: the city's average number of hills per mu is 17,300, an increase of 1,200 hills or 7.5% over last year's 16,100; the average number of basic seedlings is 70,700, an increase of 19,200 or 33.2% over last year's 57,700.

2. Suitable transplanting period and rapid seedling establishment and growth.

The city's mechanical transplanting was basically completed by June 25, ensuring a suitable transplanting period; after transplanting, seedlings established and grew rapidly, and by July 5 the city's average number of seedlings per mu reached 134,300, an increase of 65,400 or 25.2% over the same period last year. Therefore, rice production this year is generally characterized by a suitable transplanting period, high transplanting quality, rapid seedling establishment and growth, and a relatively good current seedling condition.

However, we must also recognize the existing problems and weak links: first, there are many varieties, especially Wujing and Changnongjing, which are being planted for the first time this year and on a relatively large area, and their varietal characteristics are not yet well understood; second, the pest and disease base is high, especially since obvious damage from stripe leaf blight has already appeared in some fields; third, there is great unevenness, as early-transplanted and early-developing fields are likely to develop excessive populations, while late-transplanted and late-developing fields have fewer tillers and slow seedling growth; fourth, a few large grain-growing households have seriously missed the seasonal window for direct-seeded rice sowing, one-sidedly believing that sowing in early July results in fewer weeds and no lower yield.

II. Manage According to Seedling Condition and Regulate Reasonably.

1. Apply sufficient tillering fertilizer

According to the growth characteristics of mechanically transplanted rice, the basal and tillering fertilizer in the early stage should in principle be applied at 11-12 kg of pure nitrogen per mu. In particular, fields transplanted in clear water should all receive an additional second tillering fertilizer to promote tillering and seedling growth and achieve the target number of seedlings at the appropriate time.

2. Manage according to seedling condition and regulate reasonably

For early-transplanted and early-developing fields, light field drying should be carried out in a timely manner to control the population. Generally, when the number of seedlings per mu reaches more than 200,000, light drying should begin promptly to control the peak seedling number at 270,000-280,000; for late-transplanted and late-developing fields and mechanically transplanted fields that have not yet been drained so far, water should first be drained, then pesticides applied, and on the basis of proper drainage, shallow water should be used to promote tillering. For large areas of mechanically transplanted fields, the first light drying should be carried out comprehensively after July 15 to ensure a reasonable population and increase the ear-bearing tiller rate.

3. Persist in a second chemical weeding

Around July 10, carry out a second chemical weeding comprehensively in mechanically transplanted fields, using 30 grams of "Longgeng" per mu to control weeds.

4. Fertilization for hybrid japonica rice should be ended early

The total amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be controlled at 17-18 kg of pure nitrogen, and fertilization should be ended early around July 10 to increase the seed-setting rate and prevent lodging.