Rain good for crop growth, but not prolonged spell

JALANDHAR/HOSHIARPUR: The ongoing spell of rain is all set to boost growth of all crops — wheat, potato, sugarcane, vegetables and fruits — but prevalence of prolonged spell of cloudy weather could trigger diseases like blight in potato and yellow rust in wheat crop.

Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar/Hoshiarpur, December 12

The ongoing spell of rain is all set to boost growth of all crops — wheat, potato, sugarcane, vegetables and fruits — but prevalence of prolonged spell of cloudy weather could trigger diseases like blight in potato and yellow rust in wheat crop.

The Agriculture Department has initiated the process to form joint surveillance teams in consultation with Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, to keep tabs on the possibility of outbreak of yellow rust in Kandi areas.

Yellow rust pathogens start travelling with gusty winds from neighbouring northern or sub-mountainous areas of Himachal Pradesh to Punjab’s plains falling in the semi-Shivalik belt (kandi) in winters, especially when mercury dips and the cloudy weather conditions prevail for a couple of days.

Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Nawanshahr and parts of Jalandhar and Mohali districts — nearly 40 percent of the total 35 lakh hectares under wheat crop this season — were known to turn vulnerable to yellow rust attack in the wake of prolonged cloudy weather.

“The combination of timely rains and ongoing suitable average temperature hovering around 15 degree Celsius bring along superb growth conditions for all crops. It is particularly, good for the tillering of wheat as it triggers photosynthesis activity of the plants resulting in a good yield,” said Dr Jasbir Singh Bains, Director, Agriculture.

He said it was an early stage in respect to yellow rust attack. “We will still deploy surveillance teams in kandi area to track and contain onset of any pathogenic activity on wheat plants. We have also set aside Rs 5 crore out of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yozna funds for the distribution of fungicide to wheat growers in the wake of any outbreak of yellow rust,” he said.

Dr Naresh Gulati, a Jalandhar-based farm expert, said: “The potato crop turns vulnerable to leaf blight if cloudy weather prevails for four-five days. Farmers should stay alert to spot any early signs.” He, however, said the current weather conditions were perfect for the growth of crops like wheat, sugarcane, vegetables and fruits.

The PAU’s School of Climate Change has recorded rainfall of 24 mm from 7.30 am on Monday to 7.30 am on Tuesday in Ludhiana district. “It will definitely benefit wheat crop,” said Dr Lakhbir Kaur Dhaliwal, director of the school.