Short-duration crops advised

Break in monsoon may not end in five days: ICAR

With the monsoon unlikely to revive in the next five days, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has advised farmers to switch to alternative, shorter-duration crops in stead of the regular ones. It has also suggested that farmers provide some protective cover on the cropped land (mulching) to conserve soil moisture.

The fresh advisory issued by the ICAR points out that the monsoon has entered into another 'break' phase which may not end in the next five days.

Though the situation has improved in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry over the past few days, conditions have deteriorated in the north-west and central India. The moisture distress in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, west Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha is likely to aggravate in the next week, the ICAR has warned.

In madhya Maharashtra, the condition of standing crops of soyabean, moong and urd is alarming. As good rain is not predicted for the next five days, the situation may turn grim, it has cautioned.

In Telengana, thanks to some recent showers, crops like redgram, castor and cotton can be planted where adequate soil moisture is now available. But there is little scope for growing other crops there.

The earlier sown cotton and maize crops in this region are facing acute moisture stress. In view of the unabated dry spell, farmers have been advised not to re-sow their fields.

For Rajasthan, the ICAR has suggested sowing of short-duration crops of oilseeds and pulses if the monsoon revives after July 25. Raising a crop of bajra for grains is ruled out due to the lack of rain.

Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have been told to go slow on irrigation in paddy farms. Instead of keeping water standing in the fields, irrigation is required to be done a couple of days after the water has disappeared.