Source: China Agricultural Information
During the Cold Dew period, farmers rush to harvest in the sunny days.
October 8 is the first day of Cold Dew, when the sun reaches a longitude of 195°. Temperatures at this time are lower than that of White Dew, and dew is much more plentiful, and colder. The ancients treated dew as a sign that the weather was turning cold. After the first day of Cold Dew, most areas in China will be cool. Rainfall decreases, and autumn crops ripen frequently.
After the first day of Cold Dew, temperatures in most areas of the southern China continue to decline. The daily average temperature is below 20℃. Even in the areas around the Yangtze River, temperatures are seldom more than 30℃, with the minimum temperature dropping to below 10℃. At this time, another damaging feature characterizes the weather: continuous rain marked by high humidity, more cloud cover, less sunshine and cloudier days. The foggy days increase significantly. The weather makes it more difficult to perform the three autumn jobs (harvesting, tilling and planting). Thusly, farmers should take advantage of the weather forecast to harvest and sow quickly in sunny days.
Apart from a few valleys and low-lying lands, the average temperature of the Northwest Plateau is below 10℃. According to the scientific standards that divide the seasons, it is already winter. Unlike the autumn of South China, in the north areas the frost spreads for hundreds miles and snow falls over thousands of miles of area. In the plateaus area, snow in the White Dew causes the biggest damage. It blocks the traffic and endangers livestock production, and should be taken very seriously.
Main farming activities: First is the harvest and threshing of the autumn crops. Second is the harvest of cotton in Cold Dew. Third is the seeding phrase of the third cropping wheat, oilseed rape, broad beans and other crops in the inner areas of Huaihe River. Fourth is the field planting of autumn and winter vegetables in the greenhouse.
Source: China Agricultural Information
Translated by Zhang Min
Editor: Wen Yi
