TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Continuous rainfall has waterlogged rice paddies in Taitung County, prompting officials to urge farmers to improve drainage as unstable weather is expected to persist through mid-June.
The Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station said Wednesday that a stationary front and southwest monsoon are likely to bring additional rainfall over the coming week. Agricultural officials said the weather forecast increased the risk of crop damage, per CNA.
Rice in the East Rift Valley townships of Luye, Guanshan, and Chishang is entering the harvest season. But recent downpours have caused lodging, a condition in which rice stalks bend or collapse under the weight of mature grain and wet conditions.
The station urged farmers to quickly clear drainage ditches and remove standing water from paddies. For rice not yet ready for harvest, officials recommended bundling two to three plants together to reduce damage and prevent pre-harvest sprouting.
Farmers with mature rice crops were advised to harvest promptly. The station also cautioned against applying pesticides after heavy rains because most rice paddies are nearing harvest, and pesticide residues could become a concern.
Other crops have also been affected by the wet weather. Custard apples are in the flowering and early fruiting stages, and farmers have been advised to increase artificial pollination efforts when conditions improve and to monitor for fungal diseases, per CNA.
Citrus growers were urged to strengthen controls against bacterial canker following heavy rainfall. Avocado farmers were advised to protect developing fruit through bagging.
Mangos are in their peak fruiting and harvest period, and growers were encouraged to harvest nearly ripe fruit. The station also recommended that other mature fruit crops be harvested as soon as possible and that disease prevention measures be intensified once the rain subsides.
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