The Ministry of Agriculture held a national meeting in Hunan on Tuesday to deploy “the prevention and control of winter rapeseed diseases and insects.”
Warmer than average temperatures recently have helped the development of rapeseed after several months of bad weather, but this warmer weather has also led to increased disease and insect pressure earlier than normal.
The ministry said that the degree of disease and insect damage was “significantly higher” than last year and that localities need to step up efforts to control aphids and rapeseed sclerotinia, a type of fungal stem rot.
Rapeseed is now in a critical development period and the ministry said local government’s should work hard to limit losses to 5%.