How to Protect Agriculture from Typhoons? A Guide to Reducing Losses for Greenhouses, Orchards, Rice Fields, and Aquaculture

Typhoons often cause greater damage to agriculture than to industry. This guide analyzes key loss-reduction measures: reinforcing greenhouse films, supporting and pruning fruit trees, draining rice fields, and strengthening aquaculture rafts in advance.

Typhoons: The "Number One Enemy" of Agriculture

A single severe typhoon can cause agricultural losses amounting to billions of yuan: a triple threat of wind damage, flooding, and salinization. This is particularly critical during August and September, the peak typhoon season, which coincides with the grain-filling stage of autumn harvest crops. The core strategy for typhoon preparedness in agriculture is—harvest what can be harvested, reinforce what cannot, and drain flooded areas immediately.

Facility Greenhouses: The Top Priority for Typhoon Protection

• Secure films in advance: Increase the density of film-pressing lines; if the greenhouse film tears even slightly, it can rip apart completely.
• Remove films decisively when necessary: When winds above Force 12 are forecast, proactively remove the film to protect the greenhouse frame, significantly reducing losses.
• Reinforce the framework: Compact soil around the base of support columns. For connected greenhouses with insufficient spacing, pay special attention to gutter drainage.
• Ventilate and reduce humidity promptly after the typhoon to prevent disease outbreaks caused by stuffy conditions.

Orchards: The Year's Harvest Hangs on the Trees

• Harvest ripe fruits as soon as possible (especially lychee, longan, citrus, and bananas).
• Install supports and tie main branches for tall fruit trees; banana plants can be stabilized using "tripod stakes" for their pseudostems.
• Prune branches moderately before the typhoon to reduce wind resistance.
• Straighten and hill up soil quickly after the disaster; if roots remain exposed for more than a day, survival rates drop sharply.

Rice and Field Crops

• Dig deep drainage ditches before the typhoon to ensure field water can be drained and levels lowered effectively.
• For rice in the grain-filling stage, drain fields and expose them to sun in advance to help roots grip the soil more firmly, significantly reducing lodging rates.
• Straighten and bundle lodged crops within 48 hours to keep yield losses manageable; if submerged for more than 72 hours, total crop failure is likely.
• Apply fungicides immediately after the disaster to prevent post-flood diseases such as bacterial leaf blight and sheath blight.

Aquaculture: Human Safety Always Comes First

• Reinforce cables and anchors for fish rafts and net cages, and install anti-escape nets.
• Lower water levels in ponds in advance to accommodate rainwater, and ensure sufficient oxygenators and generators are available.
• Strictly prohibit personnel from staying on fish rafts during typhoon impacts—almost all fishery casualties in past typhoons have occurred on rafts.
• Post-disaster epidemic prevention: Timely salvage and harmless treatment of dead fish, and disinfect entire ponds to prevent secondary disease outbreaks.

Don't Forget Insurance Claims and Subsidies

Purchase policy-based agricultural insurance for greenhouses, orchards, and aquaculture before disasters. After a disaster, take photos for evidence, report the case, and assess damages immediately. Many regions offer subsidies for seeds and seedlings as well as interest subsidy policies for typhoon disasters, so keep detailed records of your losses.