A year starts with spring and agriculture comes first among all sectors. On February 25, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) released the first special report on meteorological service for spring planting and sowing. It marks that nationwide meteorological service for spring planting and sowing is fully rolled out. Meteorological departments at all levels provide refined services for the epidemic prevention and control, and cooperate with departments like agriculture departments to consolidate monitoring and prediction, make targeted service products in advance, and conduct meteorological services for spring planting and sowing in an orderly manner. Spring planting and sowing in most agricultural areas in China will be carried out in succession from south to north from the end of February to the earlier May.

On February 10, in Xinye county of Henan Province, the agro-meteorological experts went to the field to carried out survey for wheat growth.

In Shouguang city of Shandong Province, the local meteorological and agricultural experts went to vegetable greenhouses to carry out field survey, and produced services reports for farmers.

Experts from Henan checked out the moisture in the greenhouse. 

This year, meteorological departments at all levels have actively expanded services for spring farming and sowing. They have harnessed a raft of facilities and technologies to help farmers make preparations, enhance soil moisture, alleviate drought conditions, contain forest fire, and promote ecological environment betterment.

In Huanglong county of Shaanxi Province, the local meteorological, agricultural and other departments jointly formed a team to carry out site instruction for farmers and guided them to utilize WeChat and microblog to get weather forecast. The team co-produced special service materials for agricultural meteorology, and timely issued service information to farmers through multiple channels such as SMS, WeChat, Weibo, early warning loudspeaker, and electronic displays.

Staff from meteorological departments have conducted field trips to the farmland; carried out agro-meteorological technical guidance, executed overall maintenance of automatic meteorological stations, monitoring instruments, power supply and telecommunication as well as electrical display boards to ensure the timely and accurate sampling, as well as transmission and dissemination of data; leveraged the service bulletin, text messaging, agro-meteorological service platform, mobile phone App to disseminate information in a timely manner; carried out weather modification operation; executed projection of spring severe weather conditions and remind farmers to seize the favorable weather to apply fertilizer and carry out pest disease control and prevention; alerted departments intertwined with agriculture to make precautions against abrupt weather conditions.

On February 27, Jiexiu meteorological department of Shanxi carried out artificial rain (snow) enhancement operation.

Staff from meteorological office of Baqiao district of Xi’an, Shaanxi was installing meteorological monitoring device.

In Gongqingcheng city of Jiangxi Province, the local meteorological and agricultural departments jointly carried out services for spring planting and sowing. The two departments have produced services materials and issued science popularization materials to farmers.

Heilongjiang provincial meteorological departments have rolled out weather forecast for agriculture, and service products like ecological and agricultural meteorological information; carried out satellite remote sensing monitoring and analysis of meteorological conditions like cumulative snow or drought, formulated temperature table of 24 solar terms of all counties and cities for the past one decade in a bid to provide guidance for agricultural production; expanded prediction and early warning information dissemination coverage and timely issued early warning information of major agro-meteorological hazards.

On February 20, Long Pengchong from Longzhuang village of Suo Town of Zaozhuang, Shandong was filling powder for the drone for agricultural production.

On February 26, farmer from Guozhuang village, Sangcun town, Shanting district of Zaozhuang, Shandong was spraying herbicide in the field.

Besides, smart meteorology has played an instrumental role in spring planting and sowing. For instance, Shangqiu meteorological department of Henan has carried out services like digital agricultural decision making, agricultural remote sensing, agro-meteorology, and harnessed satellite and drones to get access to real-time data of the farmland system.
Guangxi meteorological departments have developed the weather index model and applied it to the decision-making services. The automatically generated weather index distribution map for sugarcane harvesting can provide basis for the harvesting operations in the next ten days in Guangxi. Hubei meteorological departments have strengthened cooperation with the agricultural and rural departments, to provide straight-through services for major "vegetable basket" production enterprises by taking advantage of the smart agro-meteorological service system.

On February 12, staff from Pingyuan county meteorological office of Shandong conducted field trips to Fangzi village, Wangmiao town, and Qianchao town, have compiled featured forecast of agro-meteorological service for spring planting and sowing, carried out chemical weeding and disease & pest control, carved out types of wheat field in a science-based manner and managed them respectively, while keeping tabs on weather changes. 
Mianzhu municipal meteorological department of Sichuan has kept tabs on weather changes, reinforced agricultural meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and early warning services, and timely come up with specific agro-meteorological information and weather trend analysis for spring planting and sowing.

On February 20, professional personnel from Jiuquan municipal meteorological department selected 26 soil moisture measurement sites, and carried out measurement of soil layer between 0-10cm depth. The department has also organized experts to provide technical guidance and relevant surveys of spring harvest and sowing.

Anxiang county meteorological office of Hunan combined monitoring data of small farmland climate station and weather changes to provide technical guidance on crop disease and pests prevention & control, as well as irrigation and topdressing.  

Staff from Yuanzhou district, Guyuan city of Ningxia Hu Autonomous Region have carried out soil moisture survey on the spot targeted at 5 most typical sections in this district.

Currently, spring planting and sowing has entered a critical stage. Weather is a crucial factor exerting huge influences on spring planting and sowing. Upon entering the spring season, temperature will rebound and rainfall will be more in most agricultural regions of China. Meteorological departments will continue to provide refined monitoring and pest control and prevention work. (Mar. 17)
Source:China Meteorological News Press
Editor: Liu Shuqiao