How To Manage Orchards With Continuous Rainfall?
May 06, 2025
1, The negative impact of continuous rainfall on orchards
Soil hypoxia and suffocation
Water accumulation leads to root hypoxia, impaired absorption function, and leaf burning and withering (physiological dehydration) in the aboveground parts.
Risk of outbreak of pests and diseases
High humidity environments can easily induce fungal diseases such as brown spot, anthracnose, and rot, and pest infestations (such as snails and fruit borers) may also intensify.
Fruit cracking and quality decline
After the initial drought, there is sudden rainfall, and the flesh absorbs water and expands faster than the skin, leading to fruit cracking (such as grapes, pomegranates, apples, etc.).
2, Key measures for orchard management after rain
1. Drainage and dehumidification
Ditch drainage: In low-lying orchards, deep drainage ditches need to be dug to remove surface water and underground seepage; Shallow ditches can be opened around the tree canopy to disperse moisture.
Middle tillage and loosening of soil: After the rain stops, shallow tillage (10-15cm) is carried out to enhance soil permeability and avoid compaction.
2. Foliar fertilization and root restoration
Foliar spraying: Supplement calcium (to prevent fruit cracking), iron (to prevent yellowing of leaves), potassium dihydrogen phosphate (to enhance stress resistance), and amino acid foliar fertilizers.
Careful soil application: Avoid fertilizing the roots immediately after heavy water, and apply water-soluble fertilizer in small amounts multiple times after the soil is slightly dry.
3. Prevention and control of pests and diseases
Key timing: Spray pesticides 2-3 days after rain and after the leaves are dry, avoiding high temperature periods (before 10am/after 4pm).
Medication selection:
Fungal diseases: tebuconazole+mancozeb (broad-spectrum protection), metoclopramide · mancozeb (phytophthora), and ketoconazole (high humidity environment).
Bacterial diseases: adding chloramphenicol or copper preparations (such as copper hydroxide).
4. Tree management
Pruning and controlling excessive growth: Remove excessively long and dense branches on the back, improve ventilation and light transmission, and reduce the growth of diseases.
Clean up diseased fruits and leaves: timely remove cracked fruits, rotten fruits, and diseased leaves, and take them out of the garden for export.
5. Handling of special issues
Fruit cracking remedy: Check for accumulated water in the bagged orchard and drain it in a timely manner; Spraying calcium fertilizer enhances the toughness of fruit peels.
Restoration of waterlogging: For trees with severe waterlogging, roots can be cut off and dried for 1-2 days, and then backfilled with loose soil.
3, Long term prevention recommendations
Garden planning: Choose sloping or well drained land and cultivate on ridges.
Grass cover: Plant flood tolerant grass seeds (such as white clover) between rows to regulate soil moisture.
Regular monitoring: Strengthen orchard inspections during the rainy season to detect and handle problems early.
