Rain will check growth of whitefly, says Agri officer

Tribune News Service

Mansa, June 17

Mansa chief agriculture officer Paramjit Singh Brar on Sunday said the rain that the region had received would curb the growth of whitefly and would also lower the need for using insecticides and other sprays on cotton crop.

He urged the farmers to use insecticides judiciously to save the environment and soil from getting polluted.

He also appealed to them to wait till June 20, the official date for starting paddy transplantation.

He said early sown paddy would put pressure on the groundwater level, which was already depleting.

He explained that June 20 was the right date for paddy transplantation and it would leave them with enough time to manage paddy stubble after harvesting.

Brar allayed the fear of the farmers that late sown paddy would have higher moisture content. He said the date had been decided in consultation with agriculture experts.

He suggested that farmers could opt for varieties of paddy, which ripen earlier than other varieties and also demand less water.