Boon for farmers

THE BURST of heavy rainfall, which hit the State on Tuesday, is being seen as a boon for the paddy and other Rabi crops in the State. But it would have very little effect on the crop of pulses.

THE BURST of heavy rainfall, which hit the State on Tuesday, is being seen as a boon for the paddy and other Rabi crops in the State. But it would have very little effect on the crop of pulses.

HT Image

According to the Indian Institute of Pulse Research (IIPR) director Masood Ali, light rains may provide insignificant relief to Moong and Urd but for paddy and maize, heavy rains were required. He said for a better pulse crop, at least 30 mm rains were required. In the absence of adequate rains in August, the pulse crop has already suffered a 10 per cent loss. If the dry spell had continued for another 10 days, the crop could have incurred a severe loss, he added.

He said that the paddy crop has already suffered a big loss due to scarcity of water. On the other hand, late September rains were always required for the wheat crop, he said.

However, according to the technical advisor of the Agromatic Advisory Services at the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology Dr Mukesh Agarwal, today’s rains have worked as oxygen for the dying crops. The crop has reached the wilting stage, but the recent rains have provided oxygen to the dying crop.

Dr Agarwal told HT the rain would revive the prospects of crop facing threat of Jhulsa Disease or wilting. He said that data received from Super Computer Center at Noida and from the CSA Observatory have confirmed good scattered rainfall till August 28. He said usually the State recorded 256 mm rain every year in the month of August. This was for the first time that only 4 mm rain was recorded by August 8 and thereafter a dry-spell prevailed in the state. But now the monsoon has turned towards the State and the divisions of Kanpur, Agra and Allahabd would have enough rain.