Yellow rust fails to corrode faith of wheat growers

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 6

Even after witnessing yellow rust in patches last year in various wheat varieties, including HD-2967, DBW-88, HD-3086, PBW-550 and WH-711, farmers retained their faith in these varieties due to their high-yielding and disease-resistant qualities.

Most of the farmers of the region opted for HD 2967, HD-3086 and WH-1105 in the maximum area. The farmers said these varieties were highly productive and had disease-resistant qualities.

As per scientists, many wheat varieties, including HD-2967, DBW-88, HD-3086, PBW-550 and WH-711, had contributed to the total wheat production of the country. The total production was 93.5 million tonne in 2015-16, 86.5 million tonne in 2014-15 and 96 million tonne in 2013-14.

Haryana and Punjab always played a vital role in total production throughout the country. Punjab had produced 16 million tonne on 3.4 million hectare last year and Haryana had contributed 11.3 million tonne on 2.5 hectare.

Yellow rust was found in some fields of Karnal, Yamunanagar and Ambala in patches last year. The maximum effect had been observed in HD 2967, followed by DBW-88, HD-3086, PBW-550 and WH-711.

Reports from Haryana and Punjab so far indicated that HD 2967, HD-3086 and WH-1105 varieties were being sown in large areas, said Dr GP Singh, Project Director, Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal.

“We had suggested that farmers should adopt these varieties for cultivation under irrigated and timely sown conditions due to their high grain yield and resistance to disease, including yellow rust,” he added.

“Some of the varieties have witnessed yellow rust in some fields, but farmers need not panic. They should remain extra vigilant as moisture in the air and wind blowing at high velocity prove instrumental in spreading the disease in January,” he explained.

He rubbished claims that demonetisation had hit the sowing of wheat. He said farmers countrywide had sown it on around 2 million hectare more than last year.

“We expect between 1.5 million hectare and 2 million hectare more area than last year’s around 30 million hectare,” he reiterated.

“If stripe rust occurs, farmers should spray 0.1 per cent solution of Propiconazole 25 EC (tilt), Tiebuconazole 250 EC (folicur) or Triademephon 25 WP (bayleton),” he said.