Soaring mercury worries wheat growers

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, March 23

Rising temperature accompanied by inadequate power supply is worrying state farmers as their crops are likely to be affected due to these factors.

Sudden rise in temperature will be having a harmful effect on the yield of wheat crop. Maximum temperature recorded on Tuesday was 35°C.

To prevent the impact of this unusual rise in temperature at grain filling/formation stage, farmers have been advised by agriculture experts to do need-based irrigation for wheat crop.

According to Punjab Agricultural University’s Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology head Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, there are not western disturbances and the weather is expected to remain hot and dry in the coming days too. It will have a negative impact on the wheat crop as it needs lower temperatures at this stage.

Agriculture experts have advised farmers to do need-based irrigation and spray salicylic acid by dissolving 15 gm of it in 450 ml of ethyl alcohol, using 200 litre of water per acre, at early milk stages to mitigate the effect of high temperature at grain filling and enhance the wheat yield.

“Farmers should regularly survey the crop for the occurrence of yellow rust. If symptoms appear, they should spray Custodia/ Caviet/ Opera/ Tilt/Stilt/Bumper/Shine/Markzole @0.1 per cent or Nativo @ 0.06 per cent. To produce Karnal-bunt free seed of wheat, farmers should give a single spray of 200 ml Tilt per acre using 200 litre of water at the ear emergence stage,” said an agri expert from the PAU.

Harvinder Singh, a farmer from a village near Samrala, said they were getting only three to four hours power supply in a day, which was insufficient. “Wheat needs water at this stage as the temperature has risen suddenly but we are unable to irrigate due to lack of power. We need at least eight-hour power supply.”