Past weather (05.07.16 to 07.07.16)

Weather forecast (09.07.16 to 13.07.16)

Ø  Mean Maximum Temperature varied between 36.0-38.0 °C.

Ø  Mean Minimum Temperature varied between 27-29 °C.

Ø  Mean Relative Humidity remained around 80% in the morning and 55 % in the evening.

Parameters/ Date

09

10

11

12

13

Rainfall (mm)

0

5

7

5

4

Tmax (°C)

39

39

36

35

33

Tmin (°C)

28

27

27

26

26

Cloud cover (Okta)

2

5

6

6

5

RHmax (%)

52

59

71

77

78

RHmin (%)

32

34

48

46

43

Wind speed (kmph)

6

4

12

6

10

Wind direction (deg)

259

136

127

108

148

Qualitative Weather forecast:

Light to moderate rain/thundershowers likely at isolated places during next 48 hrs; at few places during subsequent 48 hrs and at many places thereafter.

Outlook for subsequent two days:

Rain/Thundershowers likely at few places.

Agromet Advisory

Due to Light to moderate rain/ thundershower forecast during next 3-4 days.  farmers are advised to avoid irrigation to the crops and no spray should be done during the period.

Cotton

v  Cotton crop is highly sensitive to standing water during early growth stages. Hence, drain out the excess water from the cotton fields.

v  To control weeds in between the crop rows in place of hoeing/interculture, apply Gramoxone 24 WSC (paraquat) at 500 ml/acre or Roundup/Glysel 41% SL (Glyphosate) at 1.0 l/acre or Excel Mera 71 SG at 600 g/acre in 100 litres of water when crop is 6-8 weeks old and about 40-45 cm in height as directed spray. To avoid drift, spray the herbicide on non windy days, using a protective hood so that herbicide does not fall on crop leaves.

v  Regularly monitor the whitefly infestation on cotton crop and also on alternate hosts. Spray the crop when its population reached 6 whiteflies per leaf in the upper canopy before 10 AM with 200g Polo/Craze 50 WP or 200ml Oberon 240 SC or 600ml Marktrizo/Sutathion 40 EC or 800ml Fosmite/-E-mite/Volthion 50 EC in 125-150 litres of water/acre. In case severe attack of thrips, mites and jassid is noticed i.e. the leaves start curling, spray the crop with 80 g Ulala 50 WG or 40 ml of Confidor 200 SL/Confidence 555/ Imidacel or Markdor 17.8% or 40 g Actara/Extra Super/ Dotara/Thomson 25 WG in 100 litres of water per acre.

v  Uproot and destroy leaf curl infected American cotton plants upto initiation of fruiting phase. Protect the crop against white fly vector by using recommended insecticides. Keep the fields free from Kanghi buti (Sida sp.) and Peeli buti (Abutilon sp.) which act as collateral hosts of leaf curl virus.

v  To control leaf spots or blight, spray the crop with Blitox 500 g + Agrimycin 20 g or Streptocycline 3 g/acre at an interval of 15 to 20 days starting just after shower of rain.

v   If some plants show wilting after rains or irrigation, spray the affected plants with 10 mg of Cobalt chloride dissolved in one litre of water.

Rice

v  Complete transplanting of Punjab Basmati 3, Pusa Basmati 1121 and Punjab Basmati 2 during the first fortnight of July and Pusa Basmati 1509, Basmati 370 and Basmati 386 should be transplanted during the second fortnight of July. After 3 weeks of transplanting, apply first half dose of 9 kg urea/acre to Basmati 370 and Basmati 386, 18 kg to Pusa Basmati 1121, Punjab Basmati 2 and Punjab Basmati 3 and 27 kg to Pusa Basmati 1509. Omit application of P fertilizer to basmati, if recommended amount of P was applied to wheat.

v  For the control of foot rot of basmati rice treat the seed with Bavistin @ 0.2% + Streptocycline @ 0.01% for 12 hours and then dip the roots in Bavistin @ 0.2% (200 g Bavistin in 100 litres water) for 6 hours before transplanting. Alternatively, for seed and seedling root dip treatment use talc based formulation of Trichoderma harzianum as per recommendation.

v  For control of weeds, use 1200 ml of any recommended brand formulation of Butachlor 50 EC or Thiobencarb 50 EC or Pendimethalin 30 EC 1000-1200 ml or Pretilachlor 50 EC 600 ml or Pretilachlor 37 EW 750 ml or Oxadiargyl 80 WP 45 g or Anilofos 30 EC 500 ml or Pyrazosulfuronethyl 10 WP 60 g/acre by mixing with 60 kg of sand. Broadcast any one of the above herbicides uniformly in 4-5 cm deep standing water within 2-3 days of transplanting. In the fields where continuous standing of water is a problem, spray penoxsulam (Granite 240 SC) at 40ml/acre within 10-12 days after transplanting.

v  For the control of broadleaf weeds, spray Algrip 20 WG 30 g or Sunrice 15 WDG 50 g or Londex 60 DF 40g or Segment 50 DF 16 g/acre in 150 litres of water after 20- 25 days of transplanting. Before spray, the standing water from the field should be drained out and irrigation may be applied one day after spray. The spray should be done on a clear and calm day.

v  In transplanted rice, apply second and third dose of 37 kg urea per acre each after 3 and 6 weeks of transplanting. For need based nitrogen application by using Leaf Color Chart (LCC), match the color of randomly selected 10 fully expanded new leaves after 2 weeks of transplanting. If the color of 6 or more leaves out of 10 is less than the shade 4 on LCC, apply 25 kg urea per acre. On the other hand if color of 6 or more leaves out of 10 is darker or equal to shade 4 on LCC do not apply urea. Follow the procedure at 7-10 days interval till flower initiation and apply urea if needed. In ‘Direct Seeded Rice’ apply 43 kg urea per acre each at 2, 5 and 9 weeks of sowing.

v  On coarse textured soils (sandy soils) iron deficiency may appear as interveinal chlorsis of younger leaves along with poor growth. In excessive iron deficiency, the new leaves turn white. To correct it, spray 1% Ferrous Sulphate solution (1 kg ferrous sulphate in 100 litres of water) 2-3 times at weekly intervals. Soil application of Ferrous Sulphate is not effective.

v  The rice fields showing more than 5% dead hearts due to attack of stem borer should be sprayed with either of the insecticide i.e. 20 ml Fame 480 SC or 170 g Mortar 75 SG or 350 ml of Marktriazo/sutathion 40 EC or 560 ml monocrotophos 36 SL or one litre of chlorpyriphos 20 EC in 100 litres of water per acre. Further application of any of these insecticides may be repeated as and when damage reaches economic threshold level. These insecticides also control leaf folder. Leaf folder infested plants show white streaks on leaves. When the leaf damage reaches 10 per cent then spray either of the insecticides.

v  The crop planted early, may show the Kresek phase of bacterial leaf blight. In case of Kresek attack, the whole plant wilts and become straw coloured. Avoid excessive use of nitrogen and flooding of fields.

Vegetables

v  Brinjal : Sow 300-400 g seed in one marla raised nursery beds to transplant one acre. Treat the seed with Captan @ 3g per kg seed before sowing. To check fruit and shoot borer attack in brinjal, spray 800 g Sevin 50 WP/ 100 ml Sumicidin 20 EC/ 200 ml Ripcord 10 EC/ 160 ml Decis 2.8 EC/ 800 ml Ekalux 25 EC/500ml of triazophos 40 EC in 100-125 litres of water per acre.

v Radish :Sow radish variety Pusa Chetki in this month. Roots of Pusa Chetki are small to medium, thick white in colour and with blunt end. Use 4-5 kg seed for sowing one acre by keeping 45 cm spacing between ridges and 7.5 cm between plants. Treat the seed with Captan @ 3g per kg seed before sowing.

v Bhindi :Use 4-6 kg Captan treated seed (3g Captan/kg seed) per acre and soak the seed in water for 24 hours before sowing. Sow Punjab-8, Punjab-7 and Punjab Padmani varieties of bhindi. Apply 15-20 tonnes of FYM and 40 kg urea per acre for average fertility soils at the time of sowing. Second dose of 40 kg urea/acre should be applied after first picking. Use Stomp 30 EC @ 1.0 litre/acre (pre-emergence) or 750 ml/acre followed by one hoeing or Basalin @ 800 ml to 1000 ml/ acre as pre plant application in 200-225 litres of water to control weeds.

v Cowpea :Sow 8-10 kg seed of Cowpea 263 per acre at a distance of 45 cm between rows and 15 cm between plants. Apply 45 kg urea, 100 kg single superphosphate and 16 kg muriate of potash per acre at sowing.

v Cucurbits :Use 2 kg seed per acre for sowing of bottle gourd, sponge gourd, bitter gourd, ash gourd, tinda and 1.0 kg seed for wanga as per recommendations.

v Cauliflower :Transplanting of suitable early varieties of Cauliflower should be done at 45 x 30 cm spacing. Apply 40 tonnes of FYM, 55 kg urea, 155 kg single superphosphate and 40 kg muriate of potash per acre at the time of sowing. Apply second dose of 55 kg urea/acre after 4 weeks of transplanting. Use Basalin 45 EC @ 750 ml/acre 4 days before transplanting or Stomp 30 EC @ 1 litre/acre one day before transplanting in 200 litres of water to control weeds.

Fruits

v Drain out excess rain water from the orchards as it may cause severe damage to fruit plants particularly citrus and papaya

v The month of July is the right time for planning of evergreen fruit plants such as citrus, mango, litchi, guava, loquat, ber, Amla and papaya. It is also suitable time for the transplanting of papaya seedlings in the fields. 

v The vacant land in between the fruit plants may be put under kharif pulses like moong, mash, moth or jantar, etc. for green manuring or as an inter crop.

v To improve fruit size and increase yield in Kinnow mandarin, give foliar sprays of potassium nitrate @ 1.0%.

v Pear fruit should be carefully picked so that the spurs are not damaged/broken. The fully developed hard ripe mangoes should be picked for artificial ripening.

v The full grown ber plants should be given 500 g urea per tree during this month. The second coat of white wash should be given. This will help to check the adverse effect of heat on the exposed tree trunk.

v To control pathological fruit drop in citrus spray the crop with Ziram 27 SC (1250 ml) or Tilt 25 EC (500 ml) or Bavistin 50 WP (500 g) in 500 litres of water per acre in end July.

v To control insect pests of citrus like citrus psylla, whitefly and leaf miner, spray, 1250 ml Rogor 30 EC or 200 ml Crocodile/Confidor 17.8 SL (imidacloprid) or 160g Actara (thiamethoxam) in 500 litres of water. This solution will be sufficient for one acre of full grown orchard.

v For control of mealy bugs in citrus and grapes; monitor regularly the infestation of trees by observing the underside of leaves, young shoots, fruits and branches. Maintain the orchards neat and clean. Do not allow the branches of trees to touch the ground. Prune or remove the infested branches and destroy the same. Destroy the ant nests in the orchards. Drench spraying of insecticides like 1875 ml

v Durmet/Dursban/Coroban/Massban 20 EC (chlorpyriphos) in 500 litres of water first on the appearance of pest and repeat the spray if required.

v In citrus to check withertip or dieback, scab and canker diseases, Bordeaux mixture (2: 2 : 250) or 50 per cent Copper Oxychloride (0.3 %) should be sprayed at 15 days interval.

v For the control of gummosis in citrus, paint tree trunk with 2 g Ridox 72 WP or Metamil 72 WP or Ridomil Gold 68 WP or Curzate M 8 or Matco 8-64 in 100 ml of linseed oil on the infected portion and apply 25 g of Ridox 72 WP or Metamil 72 WP or Ridomil Gold 68 WP or Curzate M8 or Matco 8-64 as soil drench in 10 litres of water per infected tree.

v In grapes, spray the vines with Score @ 500 ml/500 litres of water to control anthracnose. This spray should be given in mid July followed by another spray of Bordeaux mixture (2 : 2 : 250) in end July.

v To control fruit fly in guava spray 1250 ml Sumicidin 20 EC (fenvalerate) in 500 litres of water at weekly interval on ripening of fruits from July onwards.

v Fix 16 PAU fruit fly traps/ acre in the first week of July and recharge the same if required.

Fodder Production

v  Sowing of kharif fodders at regular intervals should be continued for regular supply of green fodders. Sorghum may be sown for providing fodders late in the kharif season.

v  Sowing of cowpea variety 88 should be carried out during the last week of July and cowpea variety CL 367 should be sown in first week of August. Use 8 Kg seed for CL 367 and 16 kg in case of cowpea 88 per acre if cowpea seed crop is to be sown.

v  Cultivate non-legume fodders in mixture with legume fodders like cowpea or guara.

Dairy and Animal Health

v  Because of higher temperature in these days, feed the animal during the cooler hours of the day.

v  Keep all the dairy animals in shade and provide wallowing (particularly for buffaloes) or bath the animals 1-2 times daily to avoid the heat stress.

v  Increase 2-4% crude protein content in the concentrate feed by adding 5 to 8 % more oilseed cakes in order to compensate for lowered dry matter intake.

v  Silent heat is a major problem during this period especially in buffaloes. Judge the heat symptoms of animals in the morning and evening from mucous discharge from vagina rather than other symptoms in summer.

v  Get all the animals vaccinated against Haemorrhagic septicaemia (Gal Ghuto) and Black quarter (Pat Soj) if not done in the month of May.

v  Save your animals from ticks, lice and flies as these parasites suck blood, cause irritation and spread diseases.

v  If an animal starts bleeding from nose, don’t disturb it much and pour cold water over face and keep head lifted. Transfer animal to a cool shady place.

v  In case of high rise of temperature in dairy animals, get their blood tested for protozoan disease from the Department of Parasitology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana or State District Laboratories/Polyclinics near to your area.

Poultry Farming

v  Due to higher temperature in these days, double the number of water containers to meet the increased requirement of water.

v  Sprinkling of water around the poultry sheds, and green area surrounding the shed is helpful in reducing the heat.

v  Increase the proteins, minerals and vitamins level in feed as the feed intake is reduced during summer.

v  If there is sudden fall in egg production or mortality, consult the poultry expert immediately.

v  Get the birds of 6 to 8 weeks of age vaccinated with injection of R2B Ranikhet disease vaccine. Do not give this, vaccine in drinking water or Lassi.

v  In the case of an outbreak of Ranikhet disease immediately give R2B vaccine injection to healthy birds to avoid further loss. Provide vitamin supplemented water to vaccinated birds.