Agricultural Science: Advisory on Protecting Cotton Crops from Heatwaves
Amidst the continuously escalating severe heat and intense heatwaves in Hanumangarh, the Department of Agriculture has issued a special advisory to farmers regarding the protection of their cotton crops. This season, cotton sowing in the district has proceeded at a rapid pace, with sowing operations already completed across an area of approximately one lakh hectares. However, due to rising temperatures and hot winds, reports have begun to emerge from several regions regarding the wilting and weakening of sprouted seedlings. Officials from the Department of Agriculture have visited various villages to inspect the impact of the heatwave on the new crop.
Dr. Pramod Kumar, Joint Director of Agriculture (Extension), has appealed to farmers to align their farming activities with the prevailing weather conditions and to adopt scientific methods. He emphasized that light irrigation is crucial in the fields to mitigate the adverse effects of the intense heat. Farmers equipped with sprinkler irrigation systems are advised to irrigate using the sprinkler method at three-day intervals; this ensures that soil moisture is maintained and provides relief to the plants from the heat stress.
The Department of Agriculture has advised against the use of any type of fertilizer for the time being. According to officials, sowing should ideally be undertaken only after deep plowing of the field and pre-sowing irrigation (known as paleva) using canal water. Farmers engaging in late sowing can minimize the impact of hot winds by planting two rows of fodder crops along the perimeter of their fields.
Furthermore, the advisory recommends lightly spraying water using tractor-mounted sprayers during the afternoon hours, as well as scheduling plowing and sowing operations for the evening. The department has identified the adoption of the furrow or bed method as being particularly beneficial for the cultivation of BT cotton.
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