**Agriculture Newsletter Issue No. 1**
**Zaoyang Agricultural Technology Promotion Center**
**January 6th, 2005**
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### **Current Wheat and Rape Seedling Conditions and Field Management Recommendations**
Recently, our technical team conducted field inspections in Wudian, Xiongji, Nancheng, Qifang, Yangdang, Taiping, Lutou, and Liu Sheng. These visits focused on assessing the current condition of wheat and rape seedlings across eight townships.
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### **Wheat Seedling Status**
#### **1. Seedling Development and Density**
- The overall quality of wheat seedlings has improved compared to last year.
- The average number of seedlings per acre reached 554,200, an increase of 190,900 from the previous year.
- The average number of tillers per plant was 1.29, up by 0.37 from the previous year.
- Seedling types varied significantly: Type 1 (over 700,000 stems) accounted for 33.1% of the area, a 28.8% increase.
- Type 2 (50–700,000 stems) dropped to 29.0%, a decrease of 16.3%.
- Type 3 (under 500,000 stems) occupied 37.9%, down by 12.5%.
- In terms of leaf age, the average was 5.7 leaves, up by 0.9 from last year.
- Areas with seven leaves increased by 8.2%, while those with five leaves decreased by 10.9%.
- The jointing stage was observed in 38.6% of the fields, and 63.2% had reached the early panicle differentiation stage.
#### **2. Frost Damage**
- A total of 42.4% of the wheat fields were affected by frost.
- Severe damage occurred in weak-spring varieties like Zheng 9023 and E-mai series, especially those sown before October 15.
- Dry land and thin soils suffered more than paddy fields and heavy soils.
- Over 80% of the spike-bearing plants were damaged during the cold event.
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### **Rape Seedling Status**
#### **1. Plant Density Issues**
- The density of rape plants was too high, with some areas reaching 33,400 plants per mu—far exceeding the ideal range of 1.2 to 15,000.
- This led to overcrowding, with seedlings competing heavily for nutrients and light.
#### **2. Seedling Growth Balance**
- The growth of rapeseed was relatively uniform due to concentrated sowing dates.
- Average green leaves per plant were 10.4, up by 1.3 from last year.
- 24% of plants had over 12 green leaves, a 9.6% increase.
#### **3. Frost Damage**
- Nearly 98.7% of the rape fields experienced frost.
- Primary and secondary frost damage accounted for 42% of the area, with 53.1% suffering from severe (third-level) damage.
#### **4. Bolting**
- Approximately 8.3% of the fields showed early bolting, which could affect yield potential.
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### **Field Management Recommendations**
#### **1. Topdressing and Fertilization**
- Apply wax fertilizers such as farmyard manure to protect against frost and improve soil fertility.
- For strong and early seedlings, use coarse organic fertilizers to control growth.
- For weak or late seedlings, apply pig manure and a small amount of urea (5–10 kg/acre) to promote recovery.
#### **2. Weeding and Cultivation**
- Perform weeding to loosen the soil, improve aeration, and reduce compaction.
- Deep cultivation can help control excessive growth and improve field conditions.
- Remove weak or diseased plants to ensure better resource allocation.
#### **3. Soil Compression (Soil Pressing)**
- After winter, pressing the soil helps seal cracks, retain moisture, and prevent frost damage.
- In early spring, this practice can suppress unnecessary tillers and encourage larger panicles.
- Avoid over-pressing in thin or weak seedling areas to prevent leaf damage.
#### **4. Additional Measures for Rape**
- For overly dense rape crops, consider using cover soil to suppress excessive growth and prevent lodging.
- Combine soil pressing with ditch maintenance for better drainage and stability.
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This report highlights the current challenges and provides practical solutions to support healthy crop development. Farmers are encouraged to implement these management practices promptly to maximize yield potential and minimize losses due to environmental stress.
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