Fairly widespread rains during the past two days in the country’s key wheat producing States of Punjab and Haryana is expected to boost the wheat crop sowing this Rabi (winter) season, officials and experts told The Hindu .
Also an expected drop in minimum temperature during the first week of December would help the temperature-sensitive wheat crop, which needs cold conditions to thrive.
Rain and thundershowers at most places over Punjab and at many places in Haryana during the past 48 hours have brought cheers to farmers, especially the wheat growers who were in for another round of irrigation this month.
The west Uttar Pradesh region also received isolated showers, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
“The current active wet spell over Punjab and Haryana is mostly over and thereafter weather conditions are likely to improve with an expected fall in minimum temperatures in the first week of December,” said Surinder Pal, Director at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh.
According to the government data, in Punjab 75% of wheat sowing has been completed. The total sowing in the State is expected to be around 35 lakh hectare during the ongoing Rabi season.
In Haryana, wheat has been sown on nearly 18.05 lakh hectare so far. Both States are major contributors of wheat to the central pool.
“These are welcome showers. Sowing of wheat had started in early November and now it has reached the crown root initiation stage. For farmers who have sown the crop in early November it’s the time for second irrigation to the crop, and hence, rains have come at the right time. If at this stage the crop is not irrigated it could result in dropped yield,” Anand Sharma, Deputy Director General of the Agromet Advisory Service Division at IMD told The Hindu .
“The rains will not only help in reducing pressure on the ground water but would also help in retaining soil moisture. Also it will help reduce the input cost of production. Even where the farmers are going for late wheat sowing, the rains would be of immense help,” said Mr. Sharma.
He said the minimum temperature, which is likely to come down over the next few days, would further assist the wheat crop as it thrives in cold conditions.
Wheat, the main winter crop is sown between late October till December, while the harvesting of the crop will start from April onwards.
