Cao Phong oranges, a specialty orange of Hoa Binh, are short and bear a lot of fruit. When the flood recedes and the sun comes up, the fruit cracks.

These days, Ms. Dang Thi Mai and her husband, Nam Son 2 hamlet, Thu Phong commune (Cao Phong district, Hoa Binh province) are busy cleaning the garden, propping up fallen and uprooted orange trees, and collecting fallen oranges to throw away.

With more than 500 orange trees entering the fruit-bearing period, during the recent stormy rainy days, Ms. Mai's family has had to continuously dig trenches and drain water to prevent flooding in the orange garden.

However, in flat areas with slow drainage, orange trees have shown signs of fruit loss, cracking and yellowing leaves.

Ms. Mai said: If the garden is not cleaned immediately, in humid conditions, rotten oranges can cause fungal diseases in plants and acidify the soil. Along with cleaning the garden, my family prepares biological products to fertilize the plants to help them recover after the flood.

In the 2024 crop year, the entire Cao Phong district (Hoa Binh province) will plant more than 900 hectares of citrus fruit trees, including more than 700 hectares of oranges, mainly Canh oranges, On Chau tangerines, V2 oranges, yellow-heart oranges and Xa Doai oranges.

At this time, except for Wenzhou tangerines that have been harvested, most other oranges are in the stage of large and firm fruit.

This is the period when orange trees need a lot of nutrients to nourish the tree and fruit. Due to prolonged heavy rain, many oranges have fallen and cracked, making Cao Phong orange growers worried that this year's yield may be affected.

Prolonged heavy rain has caused fruit cracking in many orange gardens in Cao Phong district, Hoa Binh province, and there is a high possibility that the cracked fruit will fall off.

Ms. Vu Thi Thanh Thuy, Director of 3Tfarm Cao Phong Cooperative said: The cooperative has 15 members with 21 hectares of oranges in preparation for harvest.

Through inspection and assessment of the actual situation of member households, although the orange garden was not flooded for a long time, when it rained a lot and the sun came up, the orange trees began to show signs of cracking, rotting and yellowing leaves.

At this time, with the advice of agricultural technical experts, we are instructing member households to prioritize stimulating root recovery, creating conditions for stable plant recovery.

Provide nutrients to orange trees through leaves to supplement nutrients to nourish fruit, avoid fruit drop due to overwork. Treat trees with yellow leaves, root rot, stimulate trees to increase resistance to adverse conditions.

According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cao Phong district (Hoa Binh province), affected by storm No. 3, Cao Phong district had about 4.2 hectares of oranges flooded about 30 - 40 cm.

The flooding period was not too long because people had proactively planned to drain the water. However, according to Mr. Bui Van Dan, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cao Phong District (Hoa Binh Province), the most worrying time is when the rain stops and the sun comes out, because this is the time when plants are susceptible to fungi and pests.

Especially mushrooms, because the soil is very moist, which is an ideal condition for fungi and pests to grow. Therefore, the department has assigned staff in charge of the area to directly guide farmers in implementing plans to protect, care for and restore crops in general, including orange trees.

Currently, implementing the direction of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cao Phong district (Hoa Binh province) is instructing households to urgently dig drainage ditches, clear water flow, avoid stagnant water in the garden and around tree roots causing local flooding, and limit traffic in the garden.

Re-erect fallen or leaning trees, stake the trees to prevent them from shaking or breaking their roots. Trim branches, leaves, and fruits that have been frayed by wind and storms; for large branches, whitewash the cut; spray and wash off mud from the tree canopy as soon as the water recedes.

Clear plant residues, fallen fruit, and rotten fruit from the garden; dig holes to collect rotten fruit, then sprinkle lime powder evenly over the top and cover with soil to prevent the spread of fungal diseases. Gently loosen the topsoil to allow air circulation, and actively prevent root rot caused by fungi with biological products.

Source: https://danviet.vn/cam-cao-phong-cam-dac-san-hoa-binh-cay-thap-te-trai-ra-qua-troi-nuoc-lu-rut-nang-len-qua-bi-nut-20240916075825853.htm