Spring Equinox Farming

During the Spring Equinox, frozen ground across Northeast China begins to thaw rapidly. The upper 10–20 centimeters of soil have already thawed, while deeper layers remain frozen. Daytime highs may reach 5–10°C, snow melts across broad areas, and the ground becomes muddy. Agricultural work remains centered on “备”—*preparation*—but has entered its final sprint.
Final sprint of spring preparation. Spring sowing across Northeast China usually begins from early to mid-April—around April 15–20 in Heilongjiang and April 5–10 in Liaoning. At the Spring Equinox, only two to three weeks remain before planting, so every preparation must now be completed.
Large-scale seed coating expands, combining insecticides, fungicides, and micronutrient fertilizers. Coated seeds must be dried before being bagged for later use. Fertilizer procurement and storage are fully in place, and fertilization plans are drawn up according to soil-test results for each field.
Large tractors, seeders, and sprayers complete their final calibration. This includes testing the single-seed placement rate of seeders at at least 98%, calibrating fertilizer furrow depth to an error no greater than ±0.5 centimeters, and checking nozzle output on sprayers.
Monitoring frozen-soil thaw. The Spring Equinox is the period when Northeast farmers watch thaw depth especially closely. The depth of thaw directly influences sowing time. Maize and soybeans can be planted only when soil temperature remains steadily above 8–10°C. Farmers dig into the soil daily to check thaw depth and combine these observations with weather forecasts to identify the best planting window.
Lambing continues in pastoral areas. Lambing still continues in eastern Inner Mongolia but is approaching its end. Most of the year’s expected newborn lambs have already arrived, and herders shift their emphasis from assisting births to caring for young animals—strengthening supplemental feeding, administering vaccines, and preventing common spring diseases.
Protected agriculture. Greenhouse vegetable production remains at peak levels in southern Liaoning. Rising temperatures make overheating inside greenhouses increasingly likely, so daytime ventilation must be strengthened. Strawberries enter the peak of their second fruiting cycle, requiring stronger water and nutrient management to extend the harvest period.

At the Spring Equinox, Northwest China enters the busiest stage of spring sowing. Spring-wheat planting reaches its peak, while winter wheat in southern Xinjiang enters peak jointing and reaches its maximum water and nutrient demand.
Peak spring-wheat sowing. Across the Hexi Corridor in Gansu and Yellow River irrigation districts of Ningxia, spring-wheat sowing reaches its seasonal height around the Spring Equinox. Farmers race against time: sowing can begin once the upper 2–4 centimeters of soil have thawed, and the window for 顶凌播种 (*sowing while deeper ground remains frozen*) usually lasts only 10–15 days.
Seed is placed 3–5 centimeters deep at row spacing of 15–20 centimeters, and fields are immediately rolled after sowing to conserve moisture. Spring-wheat acreage sown reaches its annual maximum during the Spring Equinox. The Hexi Corridor is one of China’s major spring-wheat producing regions, making sowing quality directly relevant to the year’s harvest.
Spring irrigation expands fully. After sowing, spring wheat in Gansu, Ningxia, and western Inner Mongolia requires prompt irrigation known as “蒙头水”—*an initial irrigation applied after sowing to secure germination and emergence*. Water demand is high, and farmers coordinate irrigation in the order crops were sown—those planted first receive water first—so that every field is irrigated in time. The Yellow River is the main water source. Around the Spring Equinox, its flow begins increasing, creating favorable conditions for spring irrigation.
Peak jointing of winter wheat in southern Xinjiang. Winter wheat in the Tarim Basin enters peak jointing. Stems lengthen rapidly while young ears accelerate their differentiation and development. This is the decisive period for kernel number per ear and brings urgent demand for water and nutrients.
Farmers carry out spring irrigation at 50–60 cubic meters per *mu* and apply 8–10 kilograms of urea plus 3–5 kilograms of potash fertilizer per *mu* as jointing fertilizer. Cold tolerance drops sharply at jointing, while southern Xinjiang still faces the risk of cold waves around the Spring Equinox, making close attention to forecasts essential.
Lambing approaches its end. Along the northern slopes of the Tianshan and in the Ili Valley, lambing nears completion. Herders shift their attention from receiving newborns to restoring ewe condition and caring for lambs. Young animals begin grazing and gradually require increased supplemental feed.
Orchard management. Buds on apples, fragrant pears, grapes, and other fruit crops in southern Xinjiang swell noticeably during the Spring Equinox, and some early cultivars enter budbreak. Growers begin applying lime-sulfur before buds open in order to destroy overwintering pests and pathogens. 葡萄开墩 (*digging overwintered vines back out from beneath their soil covering*) begins around the Spring Equinox and must be completed before bud growth begins.

At the Spring Equinox, North China enters the most critical stage of winter-wheat management. Peak jointing arrives across the region and spring irrigation reaches its maximum.
Management at peak winter-wheat jointing. Winter wheat across the North China Plain enters full peak jointing. Stems grow rapidly—by 2–3 centimeters per day—while young ears accelerate their differentiation and development inside the stem.
Peak jointing is the most critical period for determining kernel number per ear, and demand for water and nutrients reaches its annual maximum.
Key management points include:
Weak stands, with yellow leaves and few tillers, require prompt jointing fertilizer at 8–10 kilograms of urea per *mu* together with irrigation.
Strong stands can delay irrigation appropriately to promote deeper rooting.
Overly vigorous fields require strict control of both water and fertilizer. If necessary, growers apply plant growth regulators such as paclobutrazol or chlormequat chloride to shorten the lower internodes and prevent lodging.
Farmers call this stage:
“一水一肥定产量。”
*One irrigation and one application of fertilizer determine the yield.*
The precision of management during peak jointing can directly affect final yield by 10%–20%.
Peak spring irrigation. The Spring Equinox is the height of spring irrigation in North China. Millions of *mu* of wheat fields across Shandong, Hebei, Henan, and neighboring areas enter concentrated irrigation. Farmers need to complete all spring-irrigation work from late March to early April.
In recent years, North China has promoted water-saving systems such as drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and small-border irrigation, greatly improving water-use efficiency. Traditional flood irrigation, however, remains dominant in some areas.
Pest and disease control enters a critical phase. As temperatures rise, wheat pests and diseases become active.
Key targets include:
Wheat sharp eyespot—brown lesions appear at the stem base and severe infections can cause lodging. Control agents include validamycin or triadimefon.
Wheat spider mites—white spots appear on leaves, while severe infestation can cause yellowing. Abamectin is used for control.
Aphids—leaves curl and yellow, while honeydew interferes with photosynthesis. Control agents include imidacloprid or lambda-cyhalothrin.
Farmers should inspect their fields at least once each week and intervene promptly when pests or diseases appear.
Orchards move from flowering to fruit set. Apples, pears, peaches, and other fruit trees in North China enter flowering or early fruit set around the Spring Equinox. Peaches and apricots reach full bloom, while apples and pears enter initial or full flowering.
Growers must pay attention to:
Pollination conditions—warm, sunny weather favors bee activity; cloudy or rainy weather may require supplementary artificial pollination.
Late frost—if nighttime temperatures are forecast below -2°C, growers need to irrigate orchards or use smoke protection.
Flower and fruit thinning—some orchards begin removing excess blossoms in order to reduce nutrient consumption and ensure adequate fruit size.
Vegetable sowing and transplantation. Open-field vegetable sowing in North China reaches its peak. Spinach, lettuce, radish, peas, carrots, and other crops can already be planted. Greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers enter peak flowering and fruiting, requiring stronger water, nutrient, and pest-management programs. Early-spring protected potatoes begin planting.

During the Spring Equinox, the middle and lower Yangtze enters the busiest stage of agricultural work. Early-rice transplantation begins successively, rapeseed enters early pod formation, and winter wheat reaches peak jointing. These three major tasks overlap, filling the fields with activity.
Early-rice seedling raising concludes and transplantation begins. In southern Jiangnan—including Jiangxi, southern Hunan, and southern Zhejiang—early-rice seedlings generally reach the “三叶一心” to “四叶一心” stages by the Spring Equinox and begin large-scale transplantation into the main fields.
Before transplanting, paddies require careful preparation: fields are flooded to a depth of 5–8 centimeters, harrowed level so height differences across the surface remain under 3 centimeters, and supplied with sufficient basal fertilizer at 20–25 kilograms of compound fertilizer per *mu*.
Planting density depends on variety and soil fertility. Conventional varieties are generally transplanted at 15,000–18,000 hills per *mu*, while hybrid rice may be planted somewhat less densely. After transplantation, a shallow water layer of 3–5 centimeters is maintained to encourage seedling recovery and low-position tillering.
In northern Jiangnan—including Anhui, southern Jiangsu, and northern Zhejiang—early rice remains in the nursery stage and is expected to be transplanted around Qingming.
Management at the beginning of rapeseed pod formation. Across the Yangtze River basin, rapeseed shifts from full flowering into early pod formation. Petals gradually fall and young pods begin expanding.
Pod formation is a decisive phase for rapeseed yield, as both pod number and seed filling directly determine final production.
Key management measures include:
Applying 荚肥 (*pod fertilizer*), mainly potash, with 3–5 kilograms of potassium chloride per *mu* to support fuller seeds.
Controlling pests and diseases. Sclerotinia stem rot is the most important rapeseed disease, and the period around the Spring Equinox is its peak infection window. Carbendazim or procymidone-type control is applied.
Monitoring lodging risk. The above-ground weight of rapeseed rises sharply during pod formation, making the crop vulnerable to wind and heavy rain.
Peak jointing of winter wheat. Winter wheat in the middle and lower Yangtze reaches peak jointing. Stems elongate rapidly and young-ear differentiation accelerates. Farmers apply 5–8 kilograms of urea per *mu* according to crop condition to strengthen stems and support young-ear development. Cold tolerance falls sharply at jointing, making 倒春寒 (*late spring cold*) an important risk.
Clearing ditches to prevent waterlogging. Spring rainfall continues to increase around the Spring Equinox and field humidity remains high. Farmers must continue checking drainage systems and ensure that the “三沟”—main, central, and perimeter ditches—remain unobstructed. Drainage pressure is greatest on rice-stubble land used in rice–wheat or rice–rapeseed rotations, where groundwater levels are high.
Vegetable and tea-garden management. Greenhouse solanaceous crops throughout the Yangtze basin enter peak flowering and fruit set and require tighter temperature, humidity, and light management. In the tea regions of Jiangnan—Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi—spring buds grow rapidly. Only 10–15 days remain before the picking of 明前茶 (*tea harvested before Qingming*), and tea growers enter their final stage of preparation: garden clearing is complete, 催芽肥 (*bud-promoting fertilizer*) has been applied, and tea-processing equipment has been fully calibrated.

At the Spring Equinox, agricultural activity expands fully across Southwest China. Early-rice transplantation reaches its peak in low, warm valleys; winter wheat in the Sichuan Basin reaches peak jointing; control of stripe rust enters its decisive battle; and the first scattered picking of spring tea begins.
Early-rice transplantation expands fully. In southern Yunnan—including Xishuangbanna and Honghe—and the Panxi region of Sichuan, early rice enters peak large-scale transplantation. Density varies by variety but generally stands at 12,000–15,000 hills per *mu*. After transplantation, a 3–5-centimeter shallow water layer is maintained to promote recovery and tillering. Heat resources are abundant in Yunnan’s low, warm valleys, allowing transplanted rice to grow quickly.
The decisive battle against wheat stripe rust. Winter wheat in the Sichuan Basin is at peak jointing during the Spring Equinox, while stripe-rust control enters its decisive phase.
Spores travel north and east on southwesterly air currents. Because the Sichuan Basin serves as a national “锈病源头” (*source region for rust disease*), the strength of control here directly affects the security of northern wheat-producing regions.
Agricultural authorities in Sichuan launch comprehensive “带药侦查” (*field scouting with treatment products already in hand*) around the Spring Equinox. Plant-protection personnel inspect each wheat field, and any infected leaf found is followed immediately by localized spraying.
Farmers should inspect their fields at least twice a week. When yellow stripe-like spore pustules appear, they should report and spray immediately. The decisive stripe-rust control period generally lasts 2–3 weeks from the Spring Equinox to Qingming.
Potato seedling management. Spring potatoes across major producing areas of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan emerge successively around the Spring Equinox. Once emergence occurs, farmers promptly inspect stands and fill gaps, carry out the first intertillage and soil loosening, and apply 苗肥 (*seedling fertilizer*) at 5–8 kilograms of urea per *mu*. Seedling-stage management directly influences tuber number and final yield.
The first scattered spring-tea picking. In low-altitude tea districts of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, the first spring tea begins to be picked in small quantities around the Spring Equinox. The true harvest peak comes around Qingming, but a limited quantity of early buds is already ready, formally opening the season of 明前茶 (*pre-Qingming tea*).
Rapeseed and broad beans. Rapeseed in Sichuan and Guizhou enters early pod formation and requires pod fertilizer together with control of sclerotinia. Broad beans enter peak pod formation and require sufficient water.

#### (1) Mainland South China
Peak early-rice transplantation. Across South China, early-rice seedlings generally reach the “四叶一心” stage—*four developed leaves and one central emerging leaf*—around the Spring Equinox and enter peak large-scale transplantation.
After transplantation, farmers maintain a shallow water layer of 3–5 centimeters to promote 返青 and tillering. Recovery usually takes 5–7 days. Immediately after transplantation, seedlings pass through a short “缓苗期” (*transplanting-shock period*), when leaves become slightly yellow and growth pauses. They then resume growth, produce new roots, and turn green again.
In southern Hainan, where temperatures are high, some early-rice fields have already entered peak tillering.
Water and nutrient management after transplantation. The first 3–5 days after transplantation are the key period for seedling recovery. A shallow 3–5-centimeter water layer should be maintained continuously—fields must neither dry out nor be flooded too deeply.
After recovery, farmers begin applying 分蘖肥 (*tillering fertilizer*) at 5–8 kilograms of urea per *mu* to stimulate low-position tillers. Tillering is the critical phase determining the number of productive panicles and therefore requires both shallow water and adequate nutrition.
Seedling management of spring peanuts and maize. Spring peanuts and maize enter a critical seedling stage around the Spring Equinox.
Farmers carry out 查苗补缺 (*stand inspection and gap filling*), immediately resowing or transplanting wherever seedlings are missing.
Spring peanuts receive their first intertillage 10–15 days after emergence, at a depth of 5–8 centimeters, helping remove weeds, loosen soil, and encourage root growth.
Spring maize receives seedling fertilizer at the 3–4-leaf stage, generally 3–5 kilograms of urea per *mu*.
Seedling pests must also be controlled. Cutworms, mole crickets, and other underground pests feed on young plants and require prompt treatment.
Fruit retention and summer-shoot management in tropical orchards. Mangoes in Hainan and Guangxi enter young-fruit development and require attention to 保果 (*fruit retention*). Growers apply fruit-retention agents such as gibberellin or 2,4-D, control mango gall midges and thrips, and thin overly dense young fruit to ensure size and quality.
Early lychee varieties enter fruit development and require stronger water and fertilizer supply. Citrus in Guangdong and Guangxi enters spring-shoot emergence and flower-bud development. Nitrogen application must be controlled so vigorous spring shoots do not interfere with flowering and fruit set.
Vegetables and aquaculture. Open-field vegetables in South China enter rapid growth. Choy sum, Chinese kale, lettuce, spinach, and other leafy vegetables grow quickly and require timely topdressing, mainly with quick-acting nitrogen, as well as timely harvesting before bolting, after which eating quality declines.
As temperatures rise, pests and diseases enter a high-incidence period. Diamondback moth, aphids, downy mildew, and powdery mildew require stronger control.
In aquaculture, fish enter rapid growth. Feed is increased gradually, while water-quality management and disease prevention are strengthened.
#### (2) Taiwan
Rice: The first rice crop in central Taiwan—including Changhua, Yunlin, and the Chianan Plain—enters young-panicle differentiation, a decisive stage for determining the number of grains per panicle. Fields maintain a shallow water layer of 3–5 centimeters, and 穗肥 (*panicle fertilizer*), mainly potash, is applied at 5–8 kilograms of potassium chloride per *mu*.
In the south, particularly the Kaohsiung–Pingtung region, rice moves from peak tillering toward young-panicle differentiation and requires broadly similar management. In the north, including Taoyuan and Hsinchu, seedlings remain in nurseries and transplantation is expected around Qingming.
Vegetables: Vegetable sowing and transplantation expand fully across Taiwan during the Spring Equinox. In central areas, watermelon, cucumber, muskmelon, and other cucurbits reach peak sowing and seedling raising. In the south, ginger and 越瓜 enter peak transplantation. Tomatoes move from peak fruiting toward the end of harvest and require strong water, nutrient, and pest-management programs.
Fruit trees: Spring pruning of citrus is completed by the Spring Equinox. Application of spring fertilizer expands fully, mainly nitrogen, to promote spring shoots and flower-bud differentiation. Mangoes in southern Taiwan enter flowering and young-fruit development and require flower and fruit retention. Lychees enter flowering, making pollination conditions important.
Tea: Spring-tea buds in central and southern tea regions such as Nantou and Chiayi grow rapidly, and some low-altitude tea gardens begin limited picking around the Spring Equinox. Tea growers accelerate their final preparations before the main spring harvest, including recruitment of tea pickers and calibration of processing equipment.
Spring tea is Taiwan’s most important production season, and its quality and yield directly influence annual tea-industry income.
Fisheries: During the Spring Equinox, the diversity and quantity of catches in surrounding Taiwanese waters continue to increase. The spring fishing season enters a busy period, with mackerel, Spanish mackerel, pomfret, and other species still being caught. Coastal fishing vessels go to sea more frequently and catch quality remains good.
Farmer’s proverbs and customs: Taiwanese folk tradition preserves the saying:
“春分有雨到清明，清明下雨無路行。”
*If it rains at the Spring Equinox, the wet weather may continue until Qingming; when Qingming itself is rainy, the roads become too muddy to travel.*
Conversely:
“春分無雨莫耕田，秋分無雨莫種園。”
*If there is no rain at the Spring Equinox, do not rush to cultivate the fields; if there is no rain at the Autumn Equinox, do not rush to plant the garden.*
The saying expresses the idea that a rainless Spring Equinox may signal spring drought, requiring farmers to arrange cultivation with care.
In Taiwan, the Spring Equinox is also traditionally associated with 祭祖 (*ancestor worship*) and 扫墓 (*grave sweeping*), close in timing to Qingming. Folk practice includes the seasonal arrangement expressed as “春分祭祖、清明扫墓”—*“honor the ancestors at the Spring Equinox, sweep the graves at Qingming.”*