On August 27th, within the fields of Shenhai Grain Planting Cooperative in Shenze County, Shijiazhuang, vast stretches of corn and soybeans displayed robust growth. "Under the guidance of agricultural technicians, I adopted the '4 rows of corn plus 6 rows of soybeans' interplanting model, which rationally configures the row and plant spacing between soybeans and corn. This ensures corn yield remains largely unaffected while allowing me to harvest an extra 200 jin of soybeans per mu," stated Liu Hengchao, the cooperative's director, adding that technical staff have provided full-process follow-up guidance, giving him great peace of mind.
Autumn grain constitutes the major share of annual grain production. Shijiazhuang has been solidly advancing grain production management, ensuring every possible plot is sown and cultivated, while also strengthening technical guidance from agricultural experts to lay a strong foundation for a bountiful autumn harvest. "For the strip compound planting plots of soybeans and corn, we offer technical support in variety selection, seed treatment, field management, and pest control, guaranteeing that farmers can plant successfully, yield output, and earn income," said Zhai Yuzhuang, head of the Planting Division of Shenze County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau. "For standard fields, we've intensified pest monitoring and early warning, promptly releasing control guidance to organize and lead farmers in scientific prevention and treatment."
In the over 700 mu of contiguous corn fields at Hanjiawa Village, Gaocheng District, Liu Hebin, head of the Lvzhibao Family Farm, was inspecting corn growth row by row alongside agricultural technicians. Due to overcast and rainy weather, soil moisture levels in the fields were excessively high, leading to multiple issues such as waterlogging, disease, and pollination problems, which have increased his management burden. "The rainfall has caused excessive field humidity, which makes crops prone to pests and diseases. We recommend spraying insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators, and foliar fertilizers to enhance stress resistance, reduce losses, and increase per-unit yield," suggested Ren Hongxiao, deputy director of the Gaocheng District Agricultural Technology Promotion Center, offering a solution tailored to the current corn growth status.
To secure stable and abundant grain output, all counties and districts in Shijiazhuang have been strengthening technical guidance from agricultural experts in response to the prolonged rainy weather, precisely diagnosing and prescribing solutions for the thriving autumn crops. "We will continue to organize agricultural technicians to go to the frontlines of production, guiding farmers in scientific fertilization, rational irrigation, and pest control to improve grain-filling quality and increase kernel weight. Simultaneously, we are coordinating agricultural machinery resources in advance and ensuring equipment maintenance and repairs are completed," said an official from the Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau.
Beyond enhancing technical guidance, demonstrating and showcasing new superior crop varieties to effectively bridge the 'last mile' in the promotion of improved seeds and cultivation methods is also a vital component in supporting stable grain production. At the summer corn variety observation site in Baimiao Village, Xingtang County, Shijiazhuang, farmers from various regions were carefully examining corn plant growth, ear development, and comparing the comprehensive performance of different varieties in terms of stress resistance and yield potential. Meanwhile, staff distributed corn planting technical materials on-site, delivering improved seeds and cultivation techniques directly to major growers.
Attendees engaged in active discussion, raising practical production questions about variety selection, dense planting management, and pest control while observing and learning. "This trip was truly worthwhile. I've seen different corn varieties and exchanged planting experiences with others. In the future, I'm even considering expanding my planting scale, and I'll choose my seeds from what I've seen today!" one farmer expressed.
"Holding observation meetings can effectively mitigate the risks that high-risk varieties pose to agricultural production, allowing farmers to more intuitively see the performance of varieties in terms of resistance and quality, and proactively select and utilize new superior varieties and supporting cultivation techniques," said Wang Shufeng, head of the Science and Education Division of Xingtang County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau. He added that Xingtang County will continue to carry out corn variety testing, display, and demonstration work, summarize and promote excellent corn varieties and their supporting cultivation technologies, deliver improved seeds and methods to the fields, guide farmers in scientific variety selection and planting, and continuously elevate the county's corn cultivation standards.