BHUBANESWAR: With rains triggered by Cyclone Arnab likely to affect standing crops, the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and the department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment have issued post-landfall advisories to minimise crop losses and protect livestock.
The advisory focuses on the worst-affected southern districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri.
Farmers have been advised to drain excess rainwater from agricultural fields, protect harvested paddy, restore wind-damaged crops and take precautionary measures against pest and disease outbreaks.
They have also been advised to clear existing drainage channels and create new ones wherever necessary to remove stagnant water from paddy fields. Prolonged waterlogging can adversely affect grain quality and reduce yields.
Professor and head of the department of Agricultural Meteorology and OUAT principal nodal officer Tusar Ranjan Mohanty recommended harvesting paddy when 85 per cent of the grains in a panicle have matured and moving the produce to a safe place before further rainfall. Already harvested or cut paddy should be shifted to elevated, dry storage spaces. The advisory also called for postponing the sowing or planting of rabi pulses and vegetables until conditions improve.
Farmers have been urged to monitor crops for fungal infections, blast disease and pest attacks, which may intensify under humid conditions. They should consult local agricultural extension officers before undertaking remedial spraying.
The livestock advisory stressed the need to maintain adequate stocks of dry fodder and provide animals with clean drinking water.
