Major crops and vegetable varieties are prone to multidimensional problems during the coming drought season, warn agriculture experts.
At a Pre-Rabi interface involving researchers and extension experts, organised to formulate remedial measures for the diseases likely to affect crops and plants in view of the anticipated water scarcity and rise in temperature, Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran said that the 35-40 per cent rainfall deficit was likely to open up a plethora of issues for plant health management and crop production.
The programme was organised by the Directorate of Extension, KAU.
“Minimising water use for crops, decreasing crop duration and ensuring crop rotation are some strategies we can adopt. Development and identification of crop varieties with shorter duration and tolerance to drought, pests, and diseases would be helpful. Focus should be given to location-specific varieties,” the VC said.
Metal toxicity (iron, aluminium and manganese), soil acidity, nutrient deficiencies, severe infestation of weedy rice and rice bug, water hyacinth, bacterial leaf blight, blue beetle and rice case worm were the major issues likely to affect paddy farming.
The experts noted that machinery for mount preparation and dismantling of mounts and harvesting in Pokkali fields was a dire need. Problems of weeds in upland paddy cultivation were also discussed.
The meet noted that 90 per cent yield in coconut was reduced owing to the infestation of red palm weevil and Richnocerous beetle, which was particularly severe in dwarf palms. Soil- related problems, deficiency of nutrients, and white fly attack would also affect coconut trees, experts said.
The problems affecting vegetables were identified as infestation of sucking pests — mites and white fly. Rampant incidence of soil-borne fungi causing wilt and root rot in vegetables such as cowpea, solanaceous crops, ladies finger, and bitter gourd; fruit fly and downy mildew in cucurbits and mealy bug were other threats, they said.
irector of Extension S. Estelitta said that the second phase of the interface would be held on October 7, when pragmatic solutions to the issues raised would be presented.
