Dipping mercury may hit late sown wheat

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, December 29

It is feared the intense cold wave may cause damage to the late sown wheat crop. Many farmers were forced to resow because of Armyworm and pink stem borer infestation and floods. They now fear losses.

“In view of the ban imposed by the state government, farmers had to sow wheat without burning the stubble, which led to Armyworm and pink stem borer infestation, and they had to resow the crop. Now, dipping temperatures could prove detrimental for the late sown crop”, explained Rajpal Singh, a BKU (Ugrahan) leader from Mangwal village. “The Punjab Government has not announced any financial help to the farmers who have suffered losses, ” he said.

In Sangrur district, wheat has been sown over 2.90 lakh hectares— 30 per cent with Happy Seeder and other machines with zero per cent burning of stubble; 64 per cent with Rotadrill and partial burning of stubble and the remaining 6 per cent after burning of stubble, according to officers with the Agriculture Department.

Dr Mandeep Singh, Associate Director, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kheri, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, said that low temperatures would delay germination of late sown wheat but it could prove beneficial if the winter was prolonged.

The July floods this year also delayed sowing in many villages in Moonak area — Bushehra , Hamirgarh , Bhundar Bhaini, Surjan Bhaini, Makraud Sahib, Salemgarh, Moonak, Phulad, Banga, Andana, Banarasi , Shahpur Theri, Chandu and Mandvi. “The Punjab Government should immediately announce a special package for them, ” said farmer Gagandeep Singh.

Sangrur Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Jaswinderpal Singh Grewal too said the biting cold could affect the wheat crop. “The farmers should irrigate the late-sown varities as per the recommendation of the Agriculture Department,” he added.

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No let-up

Hisar coldest in Hry 0.2 degree Celsius

Bathinda coldest in Pb 0.5 degree Celcius

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Min temperatures dip

Narnaul 1.5 degree

Sirsa 1.8

Rohtak 1.6

Adampur 1 degree

Karnal 3.8

Bhiwani 3.3

Ambala 3.7

Ludhiana 4.4 deg C

Amritsar 4.4 deg C

Patiala 4.8 deg C

Halwara 4 deg C

Faridkot 4.7 deg C

Pathankot 4.3 deg C

*MeT has forecast fog in most places in Haryana and Punjab