Summer showers in north to aid cotton, guar

Summer showers over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana over the weekend are likely to prove beneficial for guar, cotton, jowar and bajra crops in the region, experts said Monday. There may, however, be marginal damage to vegetable crops, but it would be localised, they said.

Cyclonic disturbance over north Rajasthan and Haryana caused scattered rainfall in some parts of the two states as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi over the weekend.

"Rains during this time of the year in north India can damage matured standing crops," a senior official at the India Meteorological Department's Agricultural Meteorology Division in Pune said.

However, barring a few vegetable crops, there are not many standing crops in north India at present. Even among vegetables, the damage owing to rains is likely to remain localised.

If rains persist for a longer period, there could be some damage to sunflower crop in Haryana and Rajasthan owing to lodging, but that again is expected to be limited as heavy showers are not likely.

The rains will, in fact, benefit the crops that are being sown or are yet to be sown, the official said.

He said most of the land in northern belt is currently fallow and will retain moisture, which will help sowing of summer crops such as cotton and guar.

R.S. Jakhar, a farmer in Punjab, said the rains would also benefit early sown bajra and jowar crops in Rajasthan.

"Rains will improve soil moisture content and help in preparatory tilling and ploughing," he said.