Agromet Advisory Bulletin for the State of Punjab
Bulletin No. 66/2014 issued on Tuesday
19.08.2014 To 21.08.2014
Part A: Realized and forecast weather
Summary of past weather over the State during (14 th to 18 th August) :
Rainfall occurred at isolated places on 14th , 15th , 16th and 17th . Weather remained mainly dry during the rest period.
Maximum temperatures were between 34-36 O C which were 1-2 O C above normal. Minimum temperatures were between 25-27
O
C which were also 1-2
O
C above normal.
Chief amounts of rainfall in cms : 14th - Shahpur Kandi and Madhopur 3 each, Nangal Dam 2; 15th
– Malakpur 19, Madhopur & Shahpur Kandi 8 each, R.S. Dam site and Phangota 6 each; 16th –
Madhopur 9, Shahpur Kandi 8, Phangota 5, Anandpur Sahib 4, R.S. Dam site 3, Mukerian 2; 17th –
Madhopur 7, Shahpur Kandi 4, R.S. Dam site 3, Moga(aws) 2.
Highest Maximum Temperature: 36.8
O
C, 35.6
O
C, 34.8
O
C at Amritsar on 14 th
, 15 th
, 16 th
and
33.5
O
C at Ludhiana on 17 th
, 35.4
O
C at Patiala on 18 th
August respectively.
State forecast valid until 0830 hrs. of 22.08.2014: Weather would be mainly dry during the period.
A bit rise in maximum temperatures.
Outlook for subsequent two days : Isolated rain/thundershowers could occur.
Part B
Crop information and Agromet Advisories
Stages of the major kharif/rabi crops
(Crop stages and state as collected from AMFUs and State Department of Agriculture, Punjab)
Name of crop
Sugarcane
Fruits
Basmati/Paddy
Vegetables
Cotton
Kharif Pulses
Stage
Profuse tillering
Small fruits
Vegetative
Seed sowing
Sowing/Transplanting
Sowing

Crop Advisories and Plant Protection:

Rice: Incidence of sheath blight is noticed in Rice crop. Spray of Folicur 25 EC (tebuconazole) @200 ml or Tilt 25 EC (propiconazole) @ 200ml in 200 litres of water/acre is recommended. Spray 560 ml of
Monocil 36 SL (monocrotophos) or 350 ml of Sutathion 40 EC (triazophos) in 100 litres of water per acre in case of incidence of Rice stemborers. If chlorosis appears in the youngest leaf about three weeks after transplanting give copious irrigations as soon as chlorosis appears and give 2 or 3 sprays of one per cent ferrous sulphate solution at weekly intervals (1 kg of ferrous sulphate in 100 litres of water per acre) in light textured soil.

Sugarcane: Adopt recommended fertilization and weed control measures time to time. Farmers are advised for earthing up to avoid lodging. The phenological stage and present weather conditions is favourable for attack of sugarcane top borer. Apply Furadan/Thimet @ 13kg per acre followed by light irrigation.

Vegetables: Transplant brinjal seedlings in the field in the evening and irrigate immediately. Prepare the field for transplanting rainy season tomato seedlings. Prepare the field for planting bulb sets in field for kharif onion production.

Animal Husbandry: Keep in touch with very hot period of day time. Cooling through fans/foggers/sprinkler in the shed gives good result of milk production. Prefer feeding during cool part of the day especially early morning and late evening. Feed well chaffed green fodder mixed with wheat straw. Use balanced and economical rations for milk production. Avoid movement in the extreme day time when the temperature is very high. Use colostrum feeding to young-one in early period of calving. Get the pregnancy diagnosis well in time after conception.

Poultry: For the poultry birds the ration should contain 15-20 % more protein, minerals and vitamins.
Keep sufficient cold water available for the birds. Be careful about the health of the birds. Immediately consult the expert in case of sickness of the birds. Control the flies in the shed especially in cage house.

Fruits: It is the right time for planning of new orchards. Ploughing and sanitation of guava orchards alongwith use of fruit fly traps to minimize the attack of fruit fly. To manage fruit drop in citrus spray
Ziram 27 SC (2.5g/L of water) +5g of 2,4D (Sodium salt of horticulture grade) or Propiconazole 25EC
(1ml/L of water). Soil drenching with Ridomil Gold/Curzate M8/Matco 8-64 (25g in 10 L of water per tree) 0.25% (2.5g/L of water) may be done to manage Phytophthera infestans in citrus plants.

Cotton: If plants show sudden drooping of leaves which ultimately get wilted, then spray cobalt chloride
@ 10mg per one litre of water (10 ppm) immediately after the appearance of symptoms to save infected plants. For good flowering and fruit setting spray KNO3@2%/acre at weekly interwal. To control bacterial blight in rice spray Blitox 50 WP (copper oxychloride) @ 500 g in 200 litres of water per acre. If the occurrence of sucking pest viz. White fly and Jassid reaches at ETL level then spray the Oberon
@200ml/acre for white fly and 80g/acre Ulala for the management of Jassid. Need based hoeing should be done to remove unwanted plants from field.

Kharif Pulses/Oilseeds: To control weeds, applying Stomp 30 EC @ 600 ml and one hoeing 25 days after sowing. Jassid, Aphid, Whitefly: For control spray 375 ml of Malathion 50 EC or 250 ml of Rogor 30
EC diluted in 80 litres of water per acre. Hairy Caterpillar: For control spraying 500 ml of Thiodan 35 EC or 200 ml of Nuvan 100 in 80-100 litres of water per acre.

Maize: Drain out excess rain water if any, in the crop as this crop is highly sensitive to standing water and promotes bacterial stalk rot.

Bajra: In area where sowing cannot be done due to deficit rainfall, farmers are advised to sow the fodder crop of bajra & using PHB-1, PCB 164 and FBC 16 varieties for fodder crop.