Expert network meeting to convene for prevention and control of major crop pests and diseases 03-27-2021

On 1 March, in order to ensure a successful year of agriculture in 2021, the National Agricultural Technology Extension and Service Center (NATESC) organized an expert network meeting in Beijing on the technical solutions for the prevention and control of major crop diseases and pests. The meeting closely focused on the requirements of Central Document No. 1 for 2021 to ensure national food security and effective supply of important agricultural by-products.

 

The meeting also aims to continue to promote pesticide reduction and environmentally friendly farming methods. The experts attending the meeting will analyze the presence of major crop pests, including as locusts, meadow borers and other major pests, and discussed to improve the 2021 annual crop major pest prevention. The experts will also analyze crop diseases, including diseases of rice, wheat, corn, potatoes, cotton, fruit trees, vegetables, tea and other crops. The program aims to provide important technical support to minimise damage and bring about a good agricultural harvest for the whole year, as well as to promote high quality and efficient development of the planting industry.

 

Pest and pest-related diseases ravage wheat, rice, and corn crops in China

According to the China’s official website for the forecast and reporting of crop diseases and insect pests, the presence of crop pests in wheat, rice, and corn crops has increased by 14% compared to last year, which has caused risks for over 70% of farming areas. Experts have recommended that farmers take immediate precautionss in order to reduce damages and losses.


It is estimated that wheat farmland damaged by pests and pest-related disease has shown an increase of 13.8% YoY. Rice farmland damaged by pests and pest-related disease has shown an increase of 12.6% YoY, and corn farmland damaged by pests and pest-related disease has shown an increase of 13.4% YoY. Most corn farmland in Huanghuaihai region and its southern regions were invaded by fall army worms, among which the corn farmland in the southwest region and the southern regions of China experienced the most damage by fall army worms.


Furthermore, corn farmland south of the Yangtze river and in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river experienced medium damage. The corn farmland in Yangtze-Huaihe region, Huang Huai area, the northwest region, as well as the north region of China experienced light damage by fall army worms, and the south part of the northeast region barely saw any damage by fall army worms. The estimated corn farmland invaded by fall army worms was about 3.7 million hectares, with corn farmland in the south of Yangtze river accounting for 80%.


China's crops threatened by potato blight and meadow moths

In addition, according to some experts, this year other pests and pest-related disease will also occur in China. For example, late blight, a plant disease that causes damage to potatoes, will become prevalent in the southwest region, the east part of northwest region, northeast region and the north part of north region of China. Regions of Inner Mongolia and the west part of the northeast region of China will experience heavy damage from meadow moths, and there will also be a risk of locusts from outside of China again spreading across the border in the southwest.


For more information, please check our resources on China’s pesticides market.

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