Rise in temperature: Farmers must go for light irrigation, caution experts

Following an increase in temperature, agriculture experts have cautioned wheat farmers, especially those who had sown late varieties, to be vigilant and must go for light irrigation else they may witness yield loss.

Faridkot chief agriculture officer Dr Karanjit Singh Gill said a rise in temperature is not good for the wheat crop at the time of germination as it may have an impact on the yield, especially on the late-sown crop, and farmers may witness a loss of yield.

Farmers who had sown wheat, especially in the last week of November or in the first week of December, must go for light irrigation as per requirement due to dry weather. The farmers must ensure that they go for irrigation when the wind is not blowing so as not to cause damage to the crop due to falling, he said.

Meanwhile, agriculture experts have also advised farmers to keep monitoring their fields and report if they detect yellow rust in the crop. “Wheat crop should be sprayed by dissolving 120 grams of Nativo (combination fungicide) in 200 litres of water per acre to protect the crop from yellow rust,” Gill said.

Yellow rust is a fungal disease that manifests as powdery yellow stripes on leaves. These stripes hinder photosynthesis, make the grain shrivel and stop the growth of the plant.

Gill said due to the rising temperatures, the onslaught of brown planthoppers on wheat crops also increases. Therefore, farmers must regularly survey their wheat.

Project director, Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Faridkot, Amandeep Keshav said, “The rise in temperature will have an impact on the yield but farmers who had adopted crop residue management and sown wheat without removing and burning paddy residue are unlikely to face any loss.”