Spring farming activities not influenced by temperature fluctuations

Although February saw temperature fluctuations due to cold air, it did not have a significant influence on spring plowing and sowing, a meteorological expert said on Friday.

"Temperatures were lower than usual, and the precipitation level was higher than average last month," said Zhang Jiancheng, deputy director of the National Meteorological Center at a news conference.

The month saw notable temperature fluctuations, with elevated temperatures in the middle and lower temperatures at the beginning and the end owing to the influence of cold air. The national average temperature stood at -1.8 C, which was 0.5 C lower than usual. Twelve national meteorological stations reported extremely low temperatures, Zhang said.

The national average precipitation last month was 21 millimeters, which was 28.2 percent higher than usual for the same period. Areas such as the central and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and its northern areas, Northwest China and southern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region experienced above-average precipitation. Jiangsu and Anhui recorded their highest levels of precipitation for February, he added.

"Spring plowing and sowing mainly begins in late February, so the previous widespread rainy, snowy, and freezing weather has had a limited impact on spring farming activities," he said, adding that certain adverse effects may exist on facility agriculture, field vegetables and economic orchards.

Some vegetables and fruits suffered from a persistent lack of sunlight and frost damage. However, the rainy and snowy weather in late February was beneficial for maintaining warmth and moisture in the wheat fields, assisting in the subsequent growth of winter wheat.

The supporting meteorological work of spring plowing and sowing was launched on Tuesday, and as March begins, spring farming activities will be carried out extensively from south to north, lasting until mid-May.

Zhang advised farmers to prioritize the classified management of wheat fields to keep the crop properly watered, apply pesticides to late-planted rapeseed seedlings to boost their resistance to freezing and address moisture and drainage post-rain and snow promptly.

Li Menghan contributed to this story.