Rains at the turn of spring and summer bring forth all kinds of grains. What is the significance of “Gu Yu” to agricultural production?

April is halfway through, and the weather is getting warmer and colder. The last solar term of spring, Grain Rain, is approaching. In the gradually warming sunlight, rice seedlings are planted and crops are newly sown. Rain brings forth hundreds of grains, and a scene of prosperity is upon us.

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Guyu: Rain brings forth all kinds of grains

Why is it often said that “spring rain is as precious as oil”?

China has an East Asian monsoon climate, with rain and heat occurring at the same time, and rainfall concentrated in summer and autumn. In fact, during the Grain Rain season, only South my country begins to enter the rainy season. In June, the rain belt shifts to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the rain at this time will continue to fall, commonly known as "plum rain"; in July, North China enters the rainy season. Despite this, compared to the previous solar terms of Lichun, Jingzhe, and Qingming, the rainfall during the Grain Rain season increases quickly.

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There is an agricultural proverb that says, "A rain before or after Grain Rain is better than a scholar passing the imperial examination." It means that if it rains before or after Grain Rain, it will be a good year, indicating a good harvest and is very good for the growth of crops. Therefore, the working people from ancient times to the present have attached great importance to the Grain Rain solar term. "Collected Explanations of the Seventy-two Solar Terms of the Lunar Calendar" records: "In the middle of March, after the rain, the soil is moist and the veins are moving. Now it rains on the grains. Rain is pronounced in the falling tone, like rain on my public fields. Grains are sown at this time, from top to bottom." Grain Rain also implies the meaning of "rain gives birth to a hundred grains", reflecting the agricultural climate significance of Grain Rain.

Rain brings forth a hundred crops, and the work is busy

Guyu connects grain and rain, reflecting the agricultural climate significance of "Guyu". After the Guyu solar term, the temperature rises and the rainfall increases, which is a good time for sowing, transplanting seedlings, and planting melons and beans.

At this time, wheat in the north begins to grow, ear, heading, flowering, and grain filling after turning green, and gradually matures in June. Wheat has a huge demand for water, and it takes about 1 to 1.2 kilograms of water to produce 1 kilogram of wheat. Now is the time when wheat needs water the most. If there is a lack of water, the yield will be severely reduced and cannot be remedied.

Even in the southern rice-producing areas, it is now the season for planting rice in paddy fields. Without water, farmers will have no way to start. Wheat and rice are both grains. The ancients believed that "rain produces all kinds of grains" very early, so the rain during this period is called "Guyu", which is really appropriate.

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There is also a custom of picking tea in the south during the Grain Rain season. There is also a folk proverb "Grain Rain, pick tea against the rain". The temperature in spring is moderate and the rainfall is abundant. In addition, after the tea trees have rested in winter, the spring shoots and leaves are plump, green and soft. Therefore, no matter what the weather is on the Grain Rain day, people will go to the tea mountains to pick some new tea and bring it back to drink. The tea picked during the Grain Rain season is often called "pre-rain tea" or "second spring tea", which is the best tea.

“Don’t wait for Grain Rain, spring ploughing is just around the corner.” The work in the fields waits for no one, just as time waits for no one for you or me. So let’s cherish and work hard to welcome the coming hot summer.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, People's Daily, etc.