On August 6, a technical exchange and observation event for wheat and corn yield improvement was held at the Green Grain Expansion Pilot Base in Liaolan Town, Pingdu City, Qingdao. The event adopted a combination of field observation, specialized training, and interactive discussions to guide farmers in seizing the golden window for summer crop management. Key technologies such as water-fertilizer integration and precision corn dense planting were promoted.
At the Qingfeng Seed Base's corn field, Sun Xuliang, a senior agronomist from the Qingdao Agricultural Technology Center, knelt by the ridge to check soil moisture and carefully count the leaves on the corn stalks. He noted that corn is currently in the "bell-mouth stage," a critical period where both vegetative and reproductive growth occur, setting the stage for grain number per ear. Given the recent high temperatures, Sun urged farmers to monitor soil moisture and weather forecasts, focusing on early morning and late evening low-temperature periods for irrigation. Proper management now will lead to higher yields later.
Technology plays a key role in effective management. In the cornfield, drip irrigation tapes precisely delivered water and nutrients mixed with trace elements to the root zone. Professor Jiang Wen from Qingdao Agricultural University explained that water-fertilizer integration delivers water and nutrients on demand, increasing yield by over 10% compared to traditional methods, improving water use efficiency by over 20%, and boosting fertilizer use efficiency by over 15%. This method alleviates the challenge of post-mid-growth top-dressing while conserving water and fertilizers and increasing output. Complementing this, precision dense planting technology raises the planting density to 5,000-6,000 plants per mu. Shao Tongsheng, a large-scale grain farmer, estimated that this approach could yield an additional 150 jin per mu.
In the intercropping area, corn and soybeans are flourishing. Dai Xiaoyan, the base's manager, introduced the "double harvest from one field" technique: soybeans and corn are arranged in a staggered pattern under a composite planting model. By precisely controlling row and plant spacing, both crops fully utilize edge-row advantages and light-heat resources, creating a micro-ecosystem of mutual benefit. This ensures corn yields remain stable while adding an extra harvest of beans per mu.
Currently, summer corn and soybeans are in a critical period for yield formation, which also coincides with a high-risk phase for pest outbreaks and adverse weather. The expert team specifically advised farmers to precisely regulate water and fertilizer to meet ear-stage nutrient demands, strengthen pest monitoring through integrated pest management using "one spray for multiple promotions" to achieve disease and pest control while boosting yield, and closely monitor weather warnings to implement drought and flood prevention measures in advance.
Autumn grain accounts for over 70% of annual grain output, making field management crucial for the harvest. Since summer sowing, the Qingdao Agricultural Technology Center has established a "technical pairing" mechanism, dividing into five expert guidance groups to conduct one-on-one field tours. They simultaneously produce technical short videos, sharing daily tips through the "Green Grain Expansion" WeChat group to enhance technology coverage. Combining online and offline training, they have held five observation events and over 30 technical lectures, effectively transforming paper-based knowledge into field yield.
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