Ludhiana’s PAU issues ‘agro advisory’ ahead of thunderstorm, lightning forecast

Thunderstorm and lightning accompanied by gusty winds are expected to grip the state on March 30 and 31

Ahead of thunderstorms and lightning expected in plain areas of North-West India on March 30 and 31 due to western disturbance, Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) on Tuesday shared a precautionary “agro advisory” for farmers.

As per reports by Indian Metrological Department (IMD), the weather is expected to remain dry for a day or two in Punjab (HT file photo)

As per reports by Indian Metrological Department (IMD), the weather is expected to remain dry for a day or two in Punjab. However, thunderstorm and lightning accompanied by gusty winds are expected to grip the state on March 30 and 31.

As wheat crop is near maturity stage, farmers are advised not to irrigate crops and avoid lodging. They have also been asked to prepare proper channels to drain out excess water from the fields.

For the oilseeds at pod maturity, advisory says, “farmers can postpone the harvesting of mustard until weather clears up. Harvested crops should be stored at safe places to avoid losses.”

Vegetable farmers are advised to harvest the cucurbits and other vegetables like tomato, chilli, brinjal and okra at regular intervals to get maximum yield. Irrigate crops as per requirement at the interval of four to five days to avoid water stress.

For the farmers into fruit plantations, complete planting of evergreen fruit plants such as citrus, guava, mango, litchi, papaya, sapota etc. has been recommended, along with regular monitoring of sucking pests incidence in different fruit plants.

“Do not offer mineral mixture or calcium to those animals with only 15-20 days left for calving. These animals should be kept separate from other animals in a calm and clean place. Seek expert veterinary advice in case an animal faces difficulty in calving. For those animals who are constantly fall ill, blood test should be conducted specially in case of diseases caused by ticks.To control ticks and mites, insecticidal sprays can be used like cypermethrin, deltamethrin, amitraz (tactik bath) etc.” reads advisory for livestock farmers.