Expert Advisory Details

Advisory from PAU Experts for farmers

Forecast for coming week: Light to moderate rain/thundershowers likely at isolated places during next 72 hours and at many places thereafter in the state.

Warning: Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning likely at isolated places on 17th, 18th & 19th in the state. Heavy rain likely at isolated places on 17th, 18th & 19th in the state

Outlook for subsequent two days: Rain/thundershowers likely at a few places in the state

Weekly rainfall forecast of Punjab (12-18 July, 2020): 5.4 mm rainfall is expected against the normal rainfall of 5.3 mm

WEATHER CROP OUTLOOK: Farmers are advised to do crop operations in view of weather forecast.

FIELD CROPS

Cotton: Whitefly also attacks other alternate host crops like brinjal, potato, tomato, okra, moong, mash and guar. Regular surveillance should be done for timely management of whitefly on these crops.

• To prevent the incidence of mealy bug on the crop, remove all the weeds growing around the crop fields.
• Farmers are advised to regularly monitor the crop. If symptoms of fungal foliar leaf spots observed, spray the crop with 200 ml of Amistar Top in 200 litres of water per acre.

Rice: Apply second 1/3 dose of nitrogen 21 days after transplanting.

• Start transplanting of basmati varieties CSR 30, Basmati 370, Basmati 386 and Pusa Basmati 1509 during the period.
• Use PAU-Leaf colour chart for need based urea application.
• To manage foot rot in Basmati rice, treat the seed with Trichoderma harzianum @ 15g/kg before sowing. Dip the seedling’s roots in solution of Trichoderma harzianum @ 15g/ litres of water for 6 hours before transplanting.

Sugarcane: Check black bug especially on ratoon crop by spraying 350 ml Dursban/Lethal/Massban/Goldban 20EC (chlorpyriphos) in 400 litres of water per acre. Direct the spray into the leaf whorl.

Maize: Control maize borer by spraying 30ml Coragen 18.5SC in 60 litres of water per acre. Trichogramma, a bioagent can also be used as recommended by PAU.

• To manage fall armyworm on grain crop, spray Coragen 18.5SC @ 0.4ml per litre water or Delegate 11.7sc (spinetoram)@0.5ml per litre or Missile 5SG (emamectin benzoate) @0.4g/litre using 120 litres of water per acre for crop upto 20 days old. For effective control direct the nozzle towards the whorl. On fodder crop spray Coragen 18.5SC @ 0.4ml per litre water. Don’t harvest fodder till 21 days after insecticide application.

Vegetables: It is the time sowing of okra and cucurbits such as cucumber, bottle gourd, sponge gourd, pumpkin etc.

• Jassid in okra (Bhindi) can be managed by spraying once or twice at fortnightly interval with 40 ml confidor 17.8SL (imidacloprid) or 40 g Actara 25WG (thiamethoxam) in 100-125 litres of water per acre.
• Prevailing weather is favourable for the development and spread of fruit rot and die back disease of chilli. Farmers are advised to spray the crop with 250 ml Folicur or 750 gm of Indofil M-45or Blitox in 250 litres of water per acre at 10 days interval to timely check the disease.

Fruits: Monsoon showers are expected during this week; farmers can reschedule irrigations to fruit plants such as pear, citrus etc. The spray of pesticides or micronutrients should also plan accordingly.

• This is proper time for planting new evergreen fruit pants such as citrus, mango, litchi, guava, papaya, sapota etc.
• Bagging of individual mature green and hard fruits of guava with white coloured non-woven bags will protect the fruits from fruit fly damage.