After floods, false smut damages paddy crop; arrivals down 25%

The initial arrival of paddy is down by around 25 per cent in the district as compared to last year. The reason: Over 12,000 hectares have been hit by false smut (haldi rog), while floods have affected 17,690 hectares across 140 villages in the district.

High moisture content has further amplified concerns of farmers. A dwarf virus has also affected nearly 12,000 acres. Patiala Chief Agriculture officer Jaswinder Singh said dwarf virus had caused widespread damage across Punjab and Haryana.

Pawan Kumar Singla, chairman of the Patiala Arhtiyas’ Association, said, “A farmer who brought 100 quintal paddy last year is able to bring only about 75 quintals this year.”

Tarsem Lal, president of the All-India Rice Millers’ Association, said the central procurement agencies had barred purchase of paddy with more than 17 per cent moisture content and had also issued strict norms against discoloured grain. “Right now, arrivals are slow, but once procurement picks up, moisture and discolouration issues are bound to surface. The government should initiate talks with the central agencies to avoid disruption,” added Lal.

Farm leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said the government should relax norms and allow procurement of paddy with up to 21 per cent moisture.

Progressive farmer Pargat Singh said false smut had emerged as a major challenge across Punjab and Haryana this year. “Globally, the disease can cause 3 to 70 per cent yield loss depending on weather, crop variety and severity. It reduces grain weight and germination,” he explained. He attributed the outbreak to prolonged humidity (around 70 per cent), temperatures of 30-35°C, waterlogging, excessive use of nitrogen, delayed or poor-quality pesticide application and the fungus’ ability to survive in weed.

“False smut is difficult to control as symptoms appear late. Effective management requires integrated measures — pathogen-free seed, resistant varieties, balanced nitrogen and timely fungicide sprays,” said Pargat, who has authored a book titled “Beej se, beej ka safar”.