Farmers rejoice as Patiala witnesses moderate rain

Chief agriculture officer says the prevailing weather conditions are appropriate for the growth of wheat and other rabi crops; showers are expected in the coming days as well

Moderate rain accompanied by light breeze in Patiala district declared the start of a chilly winter on Friday. The district recorded 7mm rainfall resulting in a dip in temperature.

A cop controlling the traffic movement during rain in Patiala on Friday. (HT PHOTO)

According to the meteorological (MeT) department’s forecast, rain will continue in the coming days as well. The temperature may plummet further, said the MeT officials.

In Patiala, the minimum temperature recorded on Friday was 13.2°C and maximum remained 17.4°C. The sky remained overcast throughout the day.

Meanwhile, wheat growers are rejoicing the change as experts say that the showers might prove to be good for the crop. Cold weather conditions have brought relief to the farming community.

“Showers after the dry spell prevailing in the region since the sowing of wheat is a welcome change,” a farmer said.

This rabi season, farmers in the region have sown wheat, barley, mustard, sunflower, pulses, and beans. Presently, around 2.34 lakh hectare area is under wheat cultivation across district.

Patiala chief agriculture officer (CAO) Arvinder Singh said that the prevailing weather conditions are appropriate for growth of wheat and other rabi crops.

“The ongoing weather conditions will help increase the yield potential (at the tillering stage), thus increasing the yield of the rabi crops during the harvest season,” he added.

“With farmers being all set for the first irrigation of the recently sown wheat crop, the showers will solve the purpose of irrigation to a large extent,” he said.

“Wheat is a temperature sensitive crop and needs cold weather conditions to grow well. At present, the crop is in a vegetative or pre-flowering stage. Proper irrigation, particularly drizzle, at this stage is crucial for its growth as it gives enough time for the soil to absorb water,” the CAO said.

This year, most of the area in the district which is under wheat cultivation has been covered under the disease-resistant wheat varieties, HD 2,967 and HD 3,086.

The agricultural experts said that these varieties of wheat have been sown in more than 80% of the area engaged in wheat cultivation. Farmers of the region are showing interest in these varieties due to last season’s good results.

In a bid to protect the crop, the agriculture department officials have appealed to farmers of the region to not spray urea and other fertilisers on the crop, without proper guidance and consultation. The department has asked the farmers to keep a tab on the weather conditions and temperature.