Southern China Fieldwork Sluggish Due To Frequent Rain
By Andrew Owen and Drew Lerner
Kansas City, April 22 (World Weather Inc.) – Southern China and portions of the Yangtze River Basin have been nearly as wet as parts of Argentina in recent weeks. The impact has not been quite as severe as that in Argentina, but delays in planting of corn, rice and a few other early season crops has occurred while the general condition of sugarcane and early planted crops is not as 
good as it should be. Net drying is needed for more than a few days to get some of the wettest areas in better shape to support spring planting and early crop development. In contrast, portions of Hebei and Shandong in the North China Plain are dealing with a slight shortage of moisture, which is not uncommon for this time of year. Other sections of the Yellow River Basin and North China Plain were in mostly good shape for this time of year just like that of the northeastern provinces. Additional warming is needed in the northeast.
Rainfall during the past week was highest in areas near and south of a line from Hunan through southern Jiangsu. Moisture totals for the seven day period ending Thursday morning ranged from 3.00 to 5.70 inches with local totals up to 9.75 inches. Other areas near and south of the Yangtze River Basin reported 0.75 to 2.50 inches of rain during this time. The Yellow River Basin and much of the North China Plain outside of Hebei and Shandong received 0.40 to 1.05 inches of rain with local amounts up to 1.80 inches. Areas from eastern Liaoning through much 
of Jilin and Heilongjiang outside the north received 0.50 to 1.45 inch of moisture. The remaining portions of Northeastern China and the North China Plain only received a trace to 0.75 inch of moisture.
Areas near and south of the Yangtze River Basin are excessively wet and flooding has likely occurred periodically in the past few weeks. The wet conditions likely kept many producers from getting into the fields in a timely matter during the past several days. Southern China is often wet in the spring, but El Nino years are often too wet and fieldwork is more limited – as has been the case this year.
Several waves of rain will advance across areas near and south of the Yangtze River Basin through the end of next week. The rain will continue to promote a wet environment for most production areas. Fieldwork will again be slowed or delayed with flooding. Rain totals for the seven day period ending next Thursday will range from 1.50 to 6.00 
inches with local amounts of 9.00 inches or more. There will be a few days of mostly dry weather next week where fieldwork conditions will improve.
The topsoil is rated more adequately in the Yellow River Basin and neighboring areas in the North China Plain. However, there is a dry region from parts of Hebei and northern Shandong into northwestern Liaoning, northern Jilin and neighboring areas of Inner Mongolia that must be eliminated before the summer growing season gets under way.
Winter wheat and rapeseed growth rates have been mostly favorable in recent weeks. Spring planting of many grain and oilseed crops has likely advanced swiftly in several areas, as well. As long as timely rain and warm weather continue in northern China over the next few weeks, winter crop development should remain favorable.
A band of scattered showers will advance across portions of the North China Plain Sunday and Monday. A few pockets will receive 0.50 to 1.00 inch of rain while much of the region receives little or no precipitation. Dry weather will evolve most other days during the coming week. Fieldwork will continue to progress with little weather-related delay in the Yellow River Basin and North China Plain outside the drier areas in Shandong and Hebei.
Shandong and portions of Hebei and Shanxi in the North China Plain would benefit from a boost in rainfall in the next few weeks. Planting and early season crop development will advance across the region a little slower than usual until greater soil moisture evolves. However, it is still very early in the planting season leaving plenty of time for improved conditions.
Northeastern China is in mostly good shape. The ground is still too cold to promote aggressive planting, although warming in the next few weeks will gradually increase soil temperatures. There will be ample moisture in the soil for when planting begins. Brief periods of light precipitation will evolve on a frequent basis during the coming week. Precipitation totals will not be enough to counter evaporation. The next few days will trend cool before a warming trend begins at the end of the weekend and continues through the end of next week. Planting prospects will gradually improve across the region.
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