TAD NewsDesk, Chandigarh: With the rising heat, it is becoming difficult for the wheat crops to sustain in the growing stage. To take extra care the state agriculture department has asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to give eight-hour mandatory power supply to agriculture tubewells till March 31.
State’s agriculture director Sukhdev Singh Sidhu said,
“This would lead to early maturing and fall in yield by at least 3 to 5%,” he said, adding, “A maximum day temperature of 26°C is acceptable. Any further increase will damage the crop. We are having day temperatures touching 28-30°C. Last week, the temperature touched 33°C.”
This rabi season, wheat was sown over 35.1 lakh hectare and the state food and civil supplies department is making arrangement for procurement of 135 lakh tonne from April 1, when mandis and procurement centres will start accepting the crop for purchase.
Mr Sidhu said that the seeds sown in December are in more risk of getting destroyed because it is in the maturing stage.
He said,
“We have advised farmers to give timely irrigation, so that the crop doesn’t dry up early.”
In case it does mature early, the supplies would be preponed.
Mr Sidhu is claiming that they are trying to spread awareness among the farmers to irrigate the fields timely to protect their yield.
Source: Hindustan Times
