Hamyang-gun, Spring Crop Cold Damage... Must Prevent Damage with Protective Facilities

Early Blooming Raises Damage Concerns
Prevention Methods Include Air Blowing, Water Spraying, and Burning

Hamyang County Office building exterior view

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Hamyang-gun, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 29th that it is promoting proactive measures such as support for fruit tree damage prevention facilities, improvement of insurance systems, and strengthening guidance and publicity for farmers to minimize crop damage caused by low temperatures in spring.

According to the county, the spring temperatures announced by the Korea Meteorological Administration this year are expected to be similar to or higher than average, but due to forecasts of a cold snap between early and mid-April, there are concerns about low-temperature damage such as frostbite to crops.

In particular, considering that low-temperature damage to crops has continued over the past three years, thorough measures are being taken to prevent spring low-temperature damage. Last year, spring low-temperature damage affected 390 fruit tree farms covering 300 hectares.

The county expects that temperatures after late February, which greatly affect flowering, will be higher than average, so the full bloom period is expected to be somewhat earlier than usual. Pears are expected to reach full bloom around April 7, 8 to 11 days earlier than average, and apples around April 25, similar to or 2 to 3 days earlier than average.

To prevent low-temperature damage to fruit trees, nutrients are sprayed, and micro-sprinkler devices and wind fans are pre-inspected and operated timely.

Along with pre-inspection of facilities and equipment for sprinkling and ventilation in orchards, preparations are made to ensure sufficient water supply for sprinkling. For crops such as sweet potatoes and chili peppers, it is recommended to transplant after the last frost to avoid low-temperature damage during planting.

When early planting is unavoidable and low-temperature damage is expected, tunnel installation and thermal covers should be actively utilized and prepared. The sprinkling method should activate the sprinkling system when the orchard temperature reaches 1 to 2 degrees Celsius and stop after sunrise.

The ventilation method should be set to operate around 2 degrees Celsius just before germination and around 3 degrees Celsius after flowering, with the stop temperature maintained 2 degrees higher than the set temperature.

A county official said, “Considering the continuous occurrence of spring low-temperature damage to crops over the past three years, thorough prior preparation is necessary,” and added, “Please actively implement crop-specific countermeasures to help prevent damage.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.