economy

The Academy of Agricultural Science intensifies scientific research for the protection of crops. 

"We have directed efforts to protecting crops as one of the ways to avoid the influence of calamitous abnormal climate this year and increase the grain yield after studying and analysing farming experiences and lessons gained last year," said Paek Son Sik, senior staffer of the Academy of Agricultural Science.

It is the main task of the research to provide a scientific and theoretical foundation for developing and producing new agrochemicals effective in exterminating insects harmful to crops and ecologically sound by relying on domestic raw materials and technology.

The Plant Protection Institute has taken a step to prevent damage from diseases and insects caused by high temperature, intense heat and typhoon.

The institute also invented a technique of effectively extracting nicotine from residual product of fancy crop and using it to make insecticide for exterminating most of insects occurring in crops and has conducted research activities to expand the area of its application.

It also worked to introduce a mobile phone program for insect forecast service, which was developed in contact with the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration, all across the country.

The researchers drew up a guide to the installation and use of the program and distributed copies of it to farms so that they can scientifically estimate when insect pests occur and promptly get data on crop monitoring and prevention of blight damage.

According to Pae Jong Uk, staffer of the institute, many farms have now become able to increase crop yields and reduce the expense for exterminating insect pests thanks to the aforementioned mobile phone program Nadalhyanggi 1.0.

The institute also conducted research to develop a highly-effective soil disinfectant based on microbiological methods and accurately predict the period of the outbreak of potato blight.

The Agrochemistry Institute has made achievements in the research for the effective application of agrochemical means to ensure high crop yields in hostile climatic conditions, including the establishment of sci-tech ways to overcome or minimize damage caused by disastrous abnormal weather conditions and increase the effectiveness of fertilizers and agrochemicals.

In particular, it developed a rice seed coating material which is rated as highly effective as it helps raise the germination rate of seeds, promote the growth of their roots and grow healthy rice seedlings while increasing rice seedlings’ resistance to low temperature.

Meanwhile, the comprehensive analysis office newly developed an agent for promoting the growth of crops, which has a strong effect in accelerating the metabolism of crops and ensures their fast growth even in unfavourable weather conditions. This year the agent was introduced in several farms of South Hwanghae Province, with the result that the farms gathered bumper wheat and barley harvests.

The office determined the period of applying phosphatic fertilizer and potassic fertilizer capable of increasing rice yield despite low sunshine ratio and the amount of them to be applied, and confirmed the rational spray amount and concentration of nutrient solution, herbicides and pesticides by agricultural drones.