Agromet Advisory Bulletin for the State of Punjab
Bulletin No.82/2014 issued on Friday
17.10.2014 To 20.10.2014
Part A: Realized and forecast weather
Summary of past weather over the State during (14 th to 16 th October) :
Rainfall occurred at few places on 14th and at isolated places on 15th . Weather remained dry during the rest period.
Maximum temperatures were between 28-30 O C which were 2-3 O C below normal. Minimum temperatures were between 15-17
O
C which were also 2-3
O
C below normal.
Chief amounts of rainfall in cms : 14th – Derabassi, Sunam, Kapurthala 2 each, Rajpura, Dhuri
Jalandhar, Sirhind, Nabha and Patiala 1 each.
Highest Maximum Temperature: 33.4
O
C & 27.2
O
C at Ludhiana on 14 th
and 15 th
, 29.5
O
C at Patiala on 16 th
October respectively.
State forecast valid until 0830 hrs. of 21.10.2014: Weather would be mainly dry. Gradual fall in temperature.
Outlook for subsequent two days : No significant change.
Part B
Crop information and AgrometAdvisories
Stages of the major kharif/rabicrops
(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
Grand growth
Planting/Small fruits
Grain development/maturity
Seed sowing
Picking
Vegetative

Crop Advisories and Plant Protection:

Rice: As weather is expected to be dry in coming days, farmers can complete harvesting of the crop.
After harvesting, don’t burn paddy straw as it leads to environmental pollution as well as health hazards besides destroying valuable nutrients, flora & fauna etc.

Sugarcane: 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.

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. Vaccinate the animal during cooler hours of the day. 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: The newly planted young fruit plants being tender, need lot of care and attention for their survival and growth, should be watered at frequent intervals. Remove all the sprouts on rootstock which have grown below the bud union. Spray ber trees with 0.25 % wettable sulphur (250 g in 100 litres of water) or 0.05 % karathane 40 EC (50-80ml in 100 litres of water) or Bayleton for the control of powdery mildew. To control citrus canker, spray the crop with 50 g of Streptocycline + 25 gm of Copper sulphate + 500 litres of water during this month.

Vegetables: This is the right time for transplanting of main season varieties of cauliflower and cabbage.
Start sowing of Punjab Safed, Punjab Pasand and Japenese White of radish, L-1 of turnip and Selection 21 and PC-34 of Carrot. Also complete sowing of autumn potato crop in first fortnight of October particularly for seed production purpose and use healthy seed tubers.

Cotton: As weather is expected to be dry, farmers can go for picking of the crop. The picking should be done only after the full sunshine and kept in moisture free room/space to retain quality.

Oilseeds: The optimum period for sowing raya is the first fortnight of October. PBR-210 and PBR 91 are recommended for South western regions only.

Maize: Farmers are advised to maintain adequate water supply particularly at tasseling and silking stages.
Stress at these stages causes considerable losses in yield.

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.

Fodder: Right time for sowing of barseem.