Dipping mercury may damage wheat sown late

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 the July floods. They now fear heavy 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 varities”, 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, PAU, Ludhiana, said low temperatures would delay germination in case of the late sown wheat but it could prove beneficial if the winter season was prolonged.

The July floods this year delayed sowing in Bushehra, Hamirgarh , Bhundar Bhaini, Surjan Bhaini, Makraud Sahib, Salemgarh, Moonak, Phulad, Banga, Andana, Banarasi, Shahpur Theri, Chandu and Mandvi.