Yunnan adopts refined field management to upgrade flue-cured tobacco cultivation

Xinhua News Agency reports that Guangnan County in Yunnan’s Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture has entered a critical phase of field management for flue-cured tobacco seedlings. With rising temperatures and steady seedling growth, local tobacco farmers are fully engaged in film expanding, soil compaction and topdressing operations across rural farmlands, carrying out standardised seedling lifting and soil pressing under mulch films.

Traditional passive field supervision has been replaced by voluntary and refined maintenance this year. Farmers strictly follow technical benchmarks by measuring the distance between seedling tops and film openings and judging optimal timings for film expansion. Standard cultivation techniques have been thoroughly implemented in daily field operations.

To standardise seedling management before transplanting, local tobacco authorities have released serial technical tutorial videos covering seedling lifting and soil pressing procedures. On-site demonstrations specify precise operational standards. Farmers expand film openings to around 10 centimetres when seedling tops stand 1 to 2 centimetres above the mulch. Seedlings adapt to open-field conditions for three to five days before subsequent seedling lifting, soil compaction and fertilisation. The visual guidance materials have become practical technical references for local growers.

A targeted classified farmer management system serves as a core optimisation measure this planting season. Local growers are categorised into three tiers based on cultivation proficiency and implementation compliance. Tier A farmers with solid techniques and high compliance act as field demonstrators to guide neighbouring households. Tier B farmers form the major production group receiving regular skill training for steady improvement. Tier C farmers with insufficient experience obtain paired one-on-one guidance from technicians and elite growers.

The tiered mechanism abandons uniform management modes and transforms administrative supervision into precise agricultural services. It rationally allocates limited technical resources and training support to where they are most needed, enabling customised cultivation guidance for different farming groups.

Practical field practices have delivered tangible improvements. Experienced Tier A farmers voluntarily provide on-site guidance in multiple townships, reminding peers of standard film expansion sizes and appropriate fertilisation timings. Continuous technical tutoring has helped previously less proficient growers achieve orderly and well-maintained farmland conditions. Concentrated on-site lectures cover post-compaction topdressing, water and fertiliser supplementation for weak seedlings, and timely reporting protocols for abnormal leaf conditions.

The refined management model fosters comprehensive upgrading of local tobacco cultivation. Active participation and standardised operations replace passive supervision, while precise tiered support optimises overall planting quality. Scientific field management mechanisms effectively stabilise seedling growth quality and lay a solid foundation for high-quality tobacco leaf production.

Guangnan County will continue implementing systematic field management procedures in subsequent stages, including unified pest and disease prevention, intertillage maintenance and scientific fertilisation. Continuous refined cultivation measures will steadily enhance industrial quality and support sustainable income growth for local farmers.