)
Unseasonal rains in the last three days in many states including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have badly affected rabi (winter) crops such as wheat besides horticultural crops like vegetables and fruits.
"For vegetable crops, efforts needs to be made to drain out existing water from the field," said the advisory issued by the Agriculture Ministry to protect horticultural crops under high moisture conditions due to recent rains.
In potato, where harvesting is still pending, drainage should be made efficiently. As soon as the soil is in workable condition, harvesting should be done, it said.
Farmers are asked to go for fertiliser replacement and also for foliar spray of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and potash or soluble fertiliser for controlling excessive premature fall of flowering/ buds/ young fruits and pods, the advisory said.
Farmers are also advised to sow seeds in pot trays stall beds or in shed net to avoid seed loss during heavy rain.
To protect fruit crops, growers are advised to drain out excess water from orchards by making channels after flooding or heavy rainfall to reduce adverse impact on standing trees.
Farmers are also asked to apply Bordeaux paste and paint main trunk and branch with lime after rains.
Since high rainfall can leach essential nutrients from soil which can make the plant sick, the Ministry asked farmers to replace iron and nitrogen through fertilizer use.
Root damage and stress on trees are very common during stagnated water conditions and are prone to root invading pathogen. This can be controlled by application of copper fungicide around root zone at monthly interval after a heavy downpour, it added.
