Dry weather, rising mercury may hit wheat yield: Experts

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, February 20

Extreme dry weather and high temperature hovering about 5 to 6 °C above normal in February are likely to have an adverse impact on the wheat production in Haryana this season, experts and farmers opined. Sources said similar conditions had prevailed last year, which resulted in over 10 per cent less yield than the target in the state.

Crop won’t bear high temperature

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I have a good wheat crop as of now, but the present high day temperature is continuing for about one week. Wheat plants will not be able to withstand similar conditions for long. I completely lost my mustard crop due to frost and extreme cold in December and January. — Ramphal Taak, Farmer

Vegetables, fruit crops also impacted

• Dr ML Khichar, head of the Agriculture Meteorological Department, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, said the increased temperature was harmful to rabi crops, particularly wheat and late-sown mustard. The increased temperature might cause reduced seed size.
• Vegetables and fruit crops were also impacted by high temperature and increased water demand.

Agriculture scientists say wheat and late-sown mustard crops, which are at the seed development stage, may suffer from reduced seed/grain size due to the high temperature. “Increased temperature is harmful to rabi crops, particularly wheat, which is at the stage of flag leaf to earhead emergence of plants,” says an expert.

The IMD weather update said Hisar had recorded a maximum of 30.2°C, which was 5°C above average yesterday. The minimum temperature, too, was 13.2°C, which was also 3°C above normal. Significantly, there had been no rainfall in February in almost the entire state.

The Haryana Agriculture Department has set a target of a bumper production of 12.49 million tonnes wheat this rabi season. The officials say that the state has 25.5 lakh hectare wheat area this season, which is approximately 2.5 lakh hectares more than 2021-22 (23 lakh hectares).

“High temperature can lead to shrivelled grain, which reduces the weight of the grain resulting in low yield per acre. Haryana had also fallen short of its target due to the extreme high temperature at the fag end of the rabi season last year,” said an official. The experts also warn of yellow rust in wheat in certain areas in Haryana.

Dr ML Khichar, head of the Agriculture Meteorological Department, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, said the temperature during the last week had gone up. “The increased temperature is harmful to rabi crops, particularly wheat and late-sown mustard, which is at seed development stage and the increased temperature may cause reduced seed size. The crop could attract aphid attack. Vegetables and fruit crops are also impacted by high temperature and increased water demand,” Dr Khichar said. However, he said the late-night, early-morning fog and heavy dew during the last two days were signs of some relief. He suggested light irrigation for wheat.

A farmer, Ramphal Taak, said he had a good wheat crop as of now. “But the present high day temperature is continuing for about one week. Wheat plants will not be able to withstand similar conditions for long,” said Taak. He said he had to irrigate the fields about one to two weeks in advance due to dry weather and high temperature. Taak said that he completely lost his mustard crop due to frost and extreme cold in December and January. Haryana has recorded a wheat yield of 10.44 million tonnes in 2021-22 against a target of 12.36 million tonnes, which was the lowest production since 2014-15 when the figure was 10.35 MT. According to officials, Haryana had recorded 12.39 MT in 2020-21, 11.88 MT in 2019-20, 12.57 MT in 2018-19 and 10.47 MT in 2017-18.