Preserve disease-free wheat: Experts

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 26

The harvesting of wheat is going on at full swing these days. Experts have advised farmers to preserve wheat free from karnal bunt (KB) disease for the next sowing season.

The KB is a disease of wheat, which partially transforms grains into black mass of fungal spores.

Critical weather conditions, including cloudiness, drizzling and high relative humidity are conducive for the infection of KB disease. If these conditions prevail from February to mid March there the chances of occurrence of karnal bunt are high.

Dr PS Sekhon, head, Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has appealed to farmers of Punjab to preserve wheat seeds free from the KB disease for the next sowing season.

The newly recommended PAU varieties including PBW 677, PBW 725 and HD 3086 give two to three quintal more yield than the old variety of HD 2967. While preserving wheat seeds for the next crop season, care must be taken that these varieties should be free from the KB disease.

Referring to its symptoms, Dr Sekhon said, “Infected grains give out black powder of spore mass on pressing. This powder gives peculiar stinking smell.”

The diseased seed can further increase problem, he said while suggesting farmers to go for inspection before preserving seed.

“For inspection, soak handful (two) of wheat seeds in water. Take seeds out after a few minutes and spread these on a white paper. In case four to five wheat seeds are found infected with karnal bunt, then don’t preserve it,” he added.

He said, “It is important for farmers to follow seed treatment method to free the seed of newly recommended varieties from karnal bunt disease.”