Expert Advisory Details

Experts' suggestions for crops in the month of September

Suggestion for Paddy, Maize, Cotton and Sugarcane crops are as follows:

• Paddy : Give timely and not excessive irrigation for higher yield and stop irrigation two weeks before harvesting. Rogue out the weeds and off type plants from the paddy. Control leaf folder when leaf damage reaches 10 per cent by spraying 20 ml Fame 480 SC or 170g Mortar 75 SG or one litre of Coroban/Durmet/Force 20 EC in 100 litres of water per acre. Plant hoppers some time become serious in paddy. The crop dries up in patches. The plant hoppers can be controlled by spraying 120g Chess 50 WG or 40 ml of Confidor/Crocodile 17.8 SL or 800 ml of Ekalux/Quinalmass 25 EC in 100 litres of water per acre. For better results, direct the spray towards the base of the plants. Paddy stem borers cause dead hearts and white erect ears near maturity. In paddy fields showing more than 5% dead hearts, during vegetative stage spray 20 ml Fame 480 SC or 170g Mortar 75 SG or one litre of Coroban / Dursban / Lethal / Chlorguard / Durmat / Classic / Force 20 EC in 100 litres of water/acre. In basmati rice, when 2% dead hearts are noticed these pests can be controlled by applying any of above insecticide or 60 ml Coragen 20 SC in 100 litres of water per acre or 4 kg Ferterra 0.4 GR or 6 kg Regent/Mortel/Mifpro G/Mahavir GR 0.3 G or 10 kg Padan / Kritap / Sanvex / Caldan / Nidan / Marktap/Miftap 4 G or Dursban 10 G or 4 kg Vibrant 4 GR per acre in standing water. Fame 480 SC/ Martar 75 SG/ Coragen 20 SC/Padan / Kritap / Sanvex / Caldan / Nidan / Marktap 4 G Regent / Mortel/Mifpro G/Mahavir GR 0.3 G / Dursban 10 G / Ferterra 0.4 GR or Vibrant 4 GR also control leaf folder effectively. To save the crop from sheath blight, keep the bunds of the fields clean by removing grass. On noticing the disease symptoms spray the crop with Nativo 75 WG @ 80 g or Lustre 37.5 SE @ 320 ml or Amistar Top 325 SC or Tilt/Bumper 25 EC Folicur/Orius 25 EC or Monceren @ 200ml or Bavistin @ 200 g in 200 litres of water per acre. Repeat the spray after 15 days interval. If high humidity and cloudy weather persists, the crop may be sprayed at boot stage with Kocide 46 DF (Chopper hydroxide) @ 500 g in 200 litres of water per acre to control false smut.
• Maize : Maintain adequate water supply particularly at tasseling and silking stages. Stress at these stages causes considerable losses in yield. After heavy rains if water stagnates in the fields, drain out the excessive water to keep the plants free from bacterial stalk rot. The attack of maize borer can be checked by spraying 30 ml Coragen 18.5 SC in 60 litres of water/acre.
• Cotton : Do not allow cotton crop to suffer for want of water during flowering and fruiting stages, otherwise a lot of shedding of flowers and bolls will take place resulting in poor yield. To hasten boll opening last irrigation may be given at the end of September. If the damage/population of sucking insect pests reaches economic threshold levels, spray the crop with Ulala 50 WG @ 80g/acre or Osheen 20 SG @ 60g/ acre or Polo/Craze 50 WP @ 200g/acre or Lano 10 EC @ 500 ml acre or Obren 240 SC @ 200ml/acre or Applaud 25 SC @ 400ml/ acre for the control of whitefly. For the control of jassid, use Osheen 20 SG @ 60g per acre or Ulala 50 WG @ 80g/acre or Confidor or Confidence or Imidacel or Markdor @ 40 ml/acre or Actara/Extra super/Dotara/Thomson (thiamethoxam) 25 WG @ 40 g/acre in 125-150 litres of water with manually operated knapsack sprayer. To check the attack of grown up American bollworm larvae prefer to spray 2 litres chlorpyriphos 20 EC or Tracer 48 SC @ 60 ml or Avaunt 15 SC @ 200 ml  per acre. Repeat the spray if it rains within 24 hours of spraying. Mealy bug infested rows/plants should be sprayed with 500 ml buprofezin 25 EC in 125 -150 litres of water. To get higher yields, give four sprays of 2% potassium nitrate 13:0:45 (2 kg potassium nitrate in 100 litres of water) at weekly intervals starting from flower initiation. Do not use synthetic pyrethroids on cotton for the control of bollworm complex after midSeptember.
• Sugarcane : Prop up the sugarcane crop in the beginning of this month by using trash-twist method. Irrigate the crop at regular intervals for getting better yields. Rogue out the canes affected by red rot and wilt. Collect and destroy the shoots infested with Gurdaspur borer. Repeat this operation at weekly intervals. Start sowing of early maturing sugarcane varieties like Co 118, CoJ 85 and CoJ 64 from second fortnight of this month after giving recommended seed treatment. Keep 90 cm distance between rows. Grow toria, potato or garlic as intercrops in sugarcane for getting higher returns.