Autumn Equinox Farming

During the Autumn Equinox, the autumn harvest in Northeast China enters its final stage and large-scale autumn land preparation begins. Maize, rice, and soybean harvesting is largely complete, grain has been brought into storage, and autumn field work—including deep loosening, straw incorporation, and straw removal—is carried out in preparation for spring sowing the following year.
Maize, rice, and soybean harvesting approaches completion. Harvesting of the three major crops of Northeast China enters its final stage during the Autumn Equinox. Maize harvesting is largely complete, grain has been stored, and stalk management is finished at the same time. Rice harvesting is also largely complete, grain is stored, and paddies are plowed and prepared. Soybean harvesting is likewise nearly finished and the crop is brought safely into storage. Farmers use every spell of clear weather to finish the remaining harvest work.
Autumn land preparation moves fully underway. During the Autumn Equinox, autumn field preparation spreads across Northeast China. Deep loosening is carried out with large agricultural machinery to a depth of 30–35 cm, breaking the plow pan, improving root development and water infiltration, and serving as one of the core conservation-tillage techniques used on the region’s black soils. Straw incorporation involves shredding maize stalks, distributing them evenly across the field, and plowing them deeply into the soil to increase organic matter, making it an important measure for protecting black soil. Straw removal involves baling and removing stalks for use as livestock feed, biomass fuel, or papermaking material. Some farmers also carry out autumn basal fertilization, applying farmyard manure or compound fertilizer during the quieter autumn period in preparation for spring sowing. The quality of autumn land preparation directly affects spring sowing and the following year’s overall yield.
Early-frost risk remains. During the Autumn Equinox, the risk of early frost persists in high-latitude parts of Northeast China. Northern Heilongjiang and northeastern Inner Mongolia may still experience early frost from mid- to late September. Most crops have already been harvested, but late-maturing cultivars and crops in low-lying fields that remain unharvested still require attention. Preventive measures include rapidly harvesting remaining crops and irrigating before forecast frost to conserve heat.
Winter forage reserves in pastoral areas. In eastern Inner Mongolia, preparation of winter forage reaches its peak. Herders cut, dry, bale, and store grass to ensure livestock can overwinter safely.
Protected agriculture. Around the Autumn Equinox, greenhouse vegetable production begins in Northeast China, with seedlings raised or crops transplanted for autumn and winter production.

During the Autumn Equinox, Northwest China enters its busiest period of autumn harvesting and sowing. Cotton picking reaches its peak, winter-wheat sowing is fully underway, and orchard harvesting continues.
Peak cotton harvest. Cotton across Xinjiang reaches peak picking during the Autumn Equinox, with large numbers of bolls opening and white lint exposed. Farmers take advantage of clear weather to harvest. Manual picking remains predominant in Xinjiang cotton-growing areas, with strict standards: only fully opened white cotton is collected, and care is taken to prevent foreign matter from contaminating the lint. After picking, cotton is promptly dried, graded, baled, and stored or sold. Harvest continues through late October, with the period from the Autumn Equinox to 寒露 (Cold Dew) being the most concentrated picking season. Weather forecasts need to be monitored closely. If rain is expected, cotton should be picked beforehand because rainfall reduces fiber quality.
Winter-wheat sowing is fully underway. During the Autumn Equinox, winter-wheat sowing proceeds on a broad scale across Northwest China. In northern Xinjiang, sowing is concentrated in mid- to late September. Winter wheat is planted relatively early there so that autumn cooling and winter snow cover can help ensure safe overwintering; sufficient snow cover is essential, otherwise winter mortality can be high. In southern Xinjiang, winter wheat is sown in early October, while in Gansu’s Hexi Corridor sowing takes place from late September to early October.
Farmers plow fields to a depth of 20–25 cm, apply sufficient basal fertilizer in the form of farmyard manure plus compound fertilizer, and select cultivars with strong cold, drought, and disease resistance. Cultivar choice is crucial to successful overwintering, especially strong cold tolerance and tillering ability. Seed is sown at a depth of 3–5 cm, followed by soil firming to conserve moisture and promote uniform emergence. Sowing too shallow increases frost risk, while sowing too deep can reduce emergence. Sowing quality directly affects overwinter survival and yield the following year.
Continued orchard harvest. Harvesting continues in apple, fragrant-pear, grape, and other orchards across southern Xinjiang. Mid-season apple cultivars such as “红星” and “金冠” reach peak harvest, while late-maturing “富士” begins to be picked. Fragrant-pear harvesting enters its final stage or is largely complete. Table-grape harvesting approaches completion, while wine-grape harvesting continues. Growers need to harvest according to fruit maturity and carry out prompt postharvest precooling, grading, packing, cold storage, or sale. Postharvest pruning and fertilization restore tree vigor, and autumn fertilization is particularly important for growth and fruiting in the following year.
Specialty crops. Potato harvesting around Dingxi, Gansu, enters its final stage. Goji harvesting in Ningxia approaches completion. Processing-tomato harvesting in Xinjiang also enters its final stage.

During the Autumn Equinox, North China enters the busiest period of autumn harvesting and sowing. The entire autumn farming cycle—harvesting, sowing, and field preparation—is in full swing. Summer-maize harvesting approaches completion, while winter-wheat sowing is carried out on a broad scale. “秋分种麦正当时” marks one of the most important agricultural milestones of the year in North China.
Summer-maize harvesting approaches completion. The summer-maize harvest in North China enters its final stage during the Autumn Equinox. Grain is brought into storage and stalk management—either incorporation into the soil or baling and removal—is fully completed. Farmers take advantage of clear weather to finish the last remaining harvest work.
Winter-wheat sowing is fully underway. “秋分种麦正当时”—the period around the Autumn Equinox, from late September to early October, is the optimal time for sowing winter wheat in North China. It is one of the most important agricultural milestones of the year, and sowing quality directly affects overwinter survival and yield the following season.
Key techniques include plowing and seedbed preparation, with deep plowing to 20–25 cm followed by fine land leveling. A level seedbed is essential because uneven ground produces inconsistent sowing depth and uneven emergence. Basal fertilization consists of 20–25 kg of compound fertilizer per *mu* plus farmyard manure, with application rates adjusted according to soil fertility: high-yielding fields require more fertilizer, while low-yielding fields require more organic matter. Seed selection focuses on cold resistance, drought resistance, disease resistance, and yield potential.
For timely sowing, seed is placed 3–5 cm deep. Sowing too shallow increases the risk of frost damage, while sowing too deep reduces emergence. Row spacing is 15–20 cm, and the seeding rate is 10–15 kg per *mu*, adjusted according to soil fertility, cultivar, and sowing date; later sowing requires a higher seeding rate. After sowing, the soil is firmed to conserve moisture. This is a key measure for uniform emergence and can increase emergence by more than 10%.
The proverb “白露早，寒露迟，秋分种麦正当时” precisely summarizes the optimal sowing window for winter wheat in North China. Wheat sown around the Autumn Equinox can develop strong seedlings with 3–5 tillers before winter, overwinter safely, and support a good harvest the following year.
Peak cotton harvest. Cotton across North China reaches peak harvest during the Autumn Equinox, with large numbers of bolls opening. Farmers take advantage of clear weather to pick, dry, grade, bale, and sell the cotton.
Continued orchard harvest. Apple and pear harvesting continues across North China. Mid-season apple cultivars such as “红星” and “金冠” reach peak harvest, while late-maturing “富士” begins to be picked. Pear cultivars such as “鸭梨” and “皇冠梨” enter the final stage of harvest. Growers need to pay attention to proper harvest timing, postharvest management, and autumn fertilization.
Vegetable management. Autumn-sown vegetables across North China, including Chinese cabbage, radish, and spinach, enter critical growth stages and require stronger water and nutrient management and pest and disease control. Autumn Chinese cabbage enters head formation and requires head-forming topdressing, with 5–8 kg of urea per *mu* applied.

During the Autumn Equinox, the middle and lower Yangtze enters the busiest stage of autumn harvesting and sowing. The middle-season rice harvest approaches completion, late rice requires careful management from grain filling through maturity, and rapeseed sowing is fully underway.
Middle-season rice harvesting approaches completion. Across the Yangtze River basin, middle-season rice harvesting enters its final stage. Grain is stored and paddies are plowed and prepared for rapeseed sowing. Rice–rapeseed rotation is the dominant rotation system across the Yangtze River basin.
Late-rice management from grain filling to maturity. Late rice enters grain filling and maturity during the Autumn Equinox. Kernels become full and begin moving toward maturity, making this the final stage determining thousand-grain weight. Fields should remain moist under intermittent or moist irrigation and should not be drained too early, because premature water withdrawal during grain filling can leave kernels underfilled and reduce thousand-grain weight.
A grain-filling topdressing, mainly potash, is applied at 3–5 kg of potassium chloride per *mu* to promote full grain development. Rice blast, sheath blight, rice planthoppers, and other pests and diseases enter their final control stage. Fields are drained and allowed to dry 7–10 days before maturity to promote ripening and make harvesting easier.
Farmers must also guard against the persistent autumn rains of western China. Prolonged cloudy and rainy weather reduces sunlight, weakens photosynthesis, slows grain filling, lowers grain quality, and increases the risk of pests and diseases. Management during grain filling and maturity directly affects thousand-grain weight and final yield.
Rapeseed sowing is fully underway. During the Autumn Equinox, rapeseed sowing proceeds on a broad scale across the Yangtze River basin, China’s largest rapeseed-producing region and one of the most important agricultural activities of the year.
Key techniques include deep plowing and fine seedbed preparation to a depth of 20–25 cm; applying sufficient basal fertilizer in the form of 20–25 kg of compound fertilizer per *mu* plus boron fertilizer, as rapeseed is sensitive to boron deficiency and insufficient boron can cause flowering without proper pod or seed formation; and selecting high-yielding, high-quality, disease-resistant cultivars such as the “中油” and “华油” series.
Seed should be sown at a depth of 2–3 cm, since rapeseed should be planted relatively shallowly, with row spacing of 25–30 cm and a direct-seeding rate of 0.3–0.5 kg per *mu*. The soil is firmed after sowing to conserve moisture and encourage uniform emergence.
Drainage is especially important. Farmers prepare a three-part drainage system consisting of main ditches, cross-field ditches, and perimeter ditches, because autumn rainfall is frequent across the Yangtze River basin and young rapeseed is highly vulnerable to waterlogging. Sowing quality directly affects emergence and the development of strong seedlings before winter.
Pest and disease control. Late-rice pests and diseases remain common during the Autumn Equinox. Key targets include rice blast, especially panicle-neck blast, controlled with tricyclazole or isoprothiolane; sheath blight, controlled with validamycin or difenoconazole + propiconazole; and rice planthoppers, controlled with imidacloprid or buprofezin. Farmers need to strengthen field inspections and respond promptly when pests or disease symptoms appear.
Vegetables and aquaculture. Sowing and nursery raising continue for autumn vegetables across the Yangtze River basin, including Chinese cabbage, radish, lettuce, spinach, and celery. In aquaculture, temperatures continue to fall while fish remain active feeders, requiring stronger feeding and water-quality management.

During the Autumn Equinox, Southwest China enters a critical stage of autumn harvesting and sowing. The middle-season rice harvest approaches completion, rapeseed sowing is fully underway, and orchards enter maturity and harvest.
Middle-season rice harvesting approaches completion. Middle-season rice harvesting enters its final stage across Southwest China. Grain is brought into storage and rice paddies are plowed and prepared.
Rapeseed sowing is fully underway. During the Autumn Equinox, rapeseed sowing proceeds on a broad scale across Southwest China. Sichuan and Guizhou are major rapeseed-producing areas, and rapeseed accounts for the largest share of autumn-sown acreage. Farmers take advantage of favorable soil moisture to plow, apply basal fertilizer, sow, and firm the soil, aiming for uniform emergence from a single sowing. Sowing quality directly affects emergence and the development of strong seedlings before winter.
Orchard management. Citrus-growing areas across Southwest China move from fruit coloration toward pre-maturity. Fruit begins to color and sugar accumulation accelerates, making this a critical stage for determining citrus quality. Farmers apply 5–8 kg of potassium sulfate per *mu* to promote sugar accumulation and coloring; this is the most important fertilizer application for improving fruit quality. Water is moderately restricted to encourage sugar accumulation, but excessive drought must be avoided because it can restrict fruit enlargement. Keeping the soil moderately dry can increase sugar content by 1–2 degrees. Citrus red mites, leaf miners, canker, anthracnose, and other pests and diseases also enter critical control periods.
Potato harvest. Spring-potato harvesting across the major producing areas of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan enters its final stage.

#### (1) Mainland South China
Late-rice grain-filling management. Late rice enters grain filling during the Autumn Equinox, with kernels becoming full. This is a critical stage for determining thousand-grain weight. Fields should remain moist under moist irrigation without being drained too early. A grain-filling topdressing, mainly potash, is applied at 3–5 kg of potassium chloride per *mu*. Rice blast, sheath blight, rice planthoppers, and other pests and diseases remain in critical control periods. Typhoon preparedness is also essential, because September remains an active typhoon month in South China and strong winds and torrential rain can cause rice lodging.
Tropical-fruit management. Bananas in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan move from fruit development toward pre-maturity and require stronger water and nutrient management. Potash is applied to promote fruit development, while banana plants are reinforced and drainage ditches cleared in preparation for typhoons. Citrus moves from fruit coloration toward pre-maturity and requires additional potash to promote sugar accumulation and coloring, along with control of citrus red mites, leaf miners, canker, and other problems.
Typhoon preparedness. South China remains in an active typhoon period during the Autumn Equinox, and September is one of the peak months for typhoon activity in the region. Farmers need to follow typhoon warnings closely and prepare in advance by harvesting mature crops, reinforcing greenhouse structures, and checking drainage systems.
Vegetables and aquaculture. Open-field vegetables across South China enter rapid growth and peak harvest. In aquaculture, the continuing typhoon season requires protection against flooding.
#### (2) Taiwan
Rice: In central Taiwan—including Changhua, Yunlin, and the Chianan Plain—the second rice crop enters grain filling during the Autumn Equinox. In southern Taiwan, particularly the Kaohsiung–Pingtung region, the second crop also enters grain filling. In northern Taiwan, including Taoyuan and Hsinchu, the second crop moves from heading and flowering into grain filling.
Vegetables: During the Autumn Equinox, sowing and nursery raising of autumn vegetables continue across Taiwan.
Fruit trees: Citrus moves from fruit coloration toward pre-maturity, while bananas move from fruit development toward pre-maturity.
Tea: Autumn management continues in tea gardens across central and southern regions such as Nantou and Chiayi, including autumn-tea picking, pruning, and fertilization. Autumn management also continues in northern tea districts such as Wenshan and Sanxia.
Fisheries: Fishing continues in waters around Taiwan during the Autumn Equinox. Typhoon season remains active and coastal areas continue their storm preparations.
Farmer’s proverbs and folk customs: Taiwanese folk tradition preserves the saying “秋分暝日對分”, referring to the equal division of day and night at the Autumn Equinox. Another saying, “秋分天氣白雲多，處處歡聲割好禾”, describes fine Autumn Equinox weather and the joyful sound of harvesting abundant rice across the countryside. There is also the custom of “秋分吃秋菜”, gathering and eating wild amaranth, known as 秋菜, during the Autumn Equinox as a symbol of peace and good health.