With wayward monsoon taking a toll on paddy cultivation, which is now in its last leg, agriculture experts have stressed on salvaging the areas where sowing has already been completed.
The state has managed to achieve paddy sowing in two million hectares of cultivable area by July-end, which is only half of four million hectares targeted for this kharif season.
"Ideally, the farmers should go for beushaning (blind cultivation) if the seedlings have reached 21 days without being concerned with less water in the fields. Similarly, transplanting should be taken up without waiting for more water if the seedlings have reached 15 days", said Surendranath Pasupalak, head of agricultural meteorology at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).He suggested that top dressing of rice should be started after draining out the excess water.The agro-meteorologists have identified three types of adverse situations in deficit rainfall areas -some upland areas are lying fallow as insufficient rainfall has not permitted sowing of non-paddy crops.
Second- beushaning is slowly progressing or withheld in medium category land where cultivation was being done through direct sowing, and third- transplanting is progressing slowly or withheld in medium and low lying land.
Experts have suggested start of sowing of non paddy crops (like moong, biri, sesame) in upland areas lying fallow as the next few days are likely to be dry.
