Prolonged wet spell worries cotton farmers of Adilabad

Work in the fields is hindered which may lead to extra investment by way of weeding operations and application of fertilizers

ADILABAD,AP,15/07/2013;A cotton farmer couple walks away from their field owing to rainfall near Kagaznagar on Monday.-PHOTO: S. HARPAL SINGH;ADILABAD,AP,15/07/2013;A cotton farmer couple walks away from their field owing to rainfall near Kagaznagar on Monday.-PHOTO: S. HARPAL SINGH - ADILABAD,AP,15/07/2013;A cotton farmer couple walks away from their field owing to rainfall near Kagaznagar on Monday.-PHOTO: S. HARPAL SINGH

As the monsoon so far turned out to be the wettest in Adilabad in recent memory, the first signs of worry are beginning to show among cotton farmers.

The prolonged wet spell, the current having started five days back, is hindering work in the fields which will eventually lead to extra investment by way of weeding operations and application of fertilizers. The crop is at a stage which requires weeding to be carried out both manually and by spraying of weedicides.

Also, it is time for applying fertilizers.

While water logging in the black cotton soil prevents labourers from entering the fields, the rainfall washes away any fertilizer that has already been applied.

In some cases the fertilizer actually aids the growth of weeds in the fields.

“A dry spell is the need of the hour as not much time has been spent in the fields since the start of monsoon.

There are a lot of things to be done,” observes Kyatham Mallesh of Jainad mandal.

Heavy showers

Meanwhile, there was rainfall across the district with intermittent spells of heavy showers on Monday. As almost all mandals have received excess rainfall so far during the season, the district averages at 41 per cent excess having recorded 250 cm of rainfall since June1.

Though the hill streams ran in spate during the day there was no major dislocation of life in the district. Only farmers needed to suspend their work owing to heavy showers.