Typhoon Krosa Crop Disaster Prevention and Recovery: Kaohsiung Agricultural Research and Extension Station Launches Technical Service Team
Typhoon Tembin struck Taiwan, China on August 24 of this year (2012), severely devastating the Pingtung South area, with Hengchun Township, Checheng Township and Fangshan Township among the hardest hit. Strong winds and torrential rain caused crop losses within the jurisdiction, and the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station of the Council of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as the Kaohsiung Station) immediately activated its technical service team mechanism on August 27. Starting today (August 27), it will proactively visit disaster areas to guide farmers in recovery-related pruning, fertilizer management, pest and disease control techniques and comprehensive technical consultations. Farmers' associations, cooperatives or individual farmers who need assistance may also contact the service team directly. As Typhoon Tembin may make a second landfall in the Hengchun area, the Kaohsiung Station urges farmers to strengthen typhoon preparedness and post-disaster recovery measures to reduce agricultural losses.
The Kaohsiung Station stated that Typhoon Tembin may make a second landfall in the Hengchun area. During its first landfall, the wind and rain were astonishingly powerful, causing severe flooding in Hengchun, Checheng and Fangshan. Among crops, bananas, lychees, sugar apples, mangoes, dragon fruit and rice suffered the most serious losses. After the typhoon, farmers should immediately carry out post-disaster recovery work. For fruit trees, if the typhoon and torrential rain caused topsoil loss and exposed roots, soil should be mounded over them to protect the roots. If drainage ditches are buried by mud, they should be cleared as early as possible to facilitate drainage. Collapsed trellises should be repaired and straightened. If tree bodies have toppled, they should be righted and secured while avoiding damage to the root system. Broken or split branches should be pruned and tied up as early as possible, and the cut surfaces should be sprayed or coated with a broad-spectrum fungicide to prevent disease.
In addition, second-crop rice in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area is mostly at the booting stage. This typhoon caused flooding of rice fields, with severe areas even suffering washouts and submergence. Flooded rice paddies should be drained as quickly as possible; at the same time, fallen branches, driftwood, plastic sheeting, buckets and other debris should be removed from the rice fields to maintain field sanitation. In addition to the above field recovery work, the strong winds during the typhoon can cause wounds on rice leaves, which favor infection by bacterial leaf blight. Once it occurs, control measures should be taken immediately before and after the wind and rain to prevent it from spreading.
The Kaohsiung Station further pointed out that while farmers carry out crop disaster preparedness and recovery work, disease control is a very important part. If it can be done together with disaster preparedness and recovery work, it will more effectively reduce the damage caused by typhoons to crops. If farmers have technical questions related to crop disaster preparedness, recovery or replanting, please call the service hotlines 08-7389052 or 08-7389087 directly, and the Kaohsiung Station technical service team will provide all necessary assistance and services.
Contact: Chou Hao-ping, Assistant Researcher
Tel: 08-7389158 ext. 762
Mobile: 0937-214739