The North China Plain has been experiencing a much wetter-than-normal weather pattern since the start of the 2008 growing season, with Shandong Province, China's second largest cotton-growing region, enduring this situation since June. During the first half of July, periods of over 50 millimeter or 2.0-inch showers occurred in a single 24-hour period. All of this moisture has led to rapid cotton growth, while at the same time having caused considerable problems. Growers have reported yellow blight and have been actively topping plants to control growth and spraying chloride fertilizers. Other developing issues have been boll shed due to extreme wet conditions and increased insect infestation due to high humidity. Farmers are very concerned that continued cloud cover will impact yields.
