HYDERABAD: The State government has been advising the farmers to advance harvesting of paddy crop in Rabi season by a month, so that the produce doesn’t get damaged by extreme weather events like hailstorms and unseasonal rains, and also to prevent the grains from splitting up during the milling process. However, it is easier said than done, as there are many hurdles for the exercise to be successful.
According to experts, unless the crop duration in the Kharif season itself is advanced by a month, it is highly unlikely that it could be followed in Rabi season. Unfortunately, due to prolonged rains which are still happening, the duration of the crop is being prolonged, as grain setting and formation is delayed under cloudy conditions, according to B Sudarshan Reddy, former Dean of Agriculture, erstwhile AP.
He has been cultivating RNR 15048 (Telangana Sona) in his farm in Wanaparthy district, which is a short-duration paddy variety having a duration of 135 days in Kharif, and 130 days in Rabi. Though he had sown the crop on time, due to prolonged rains, he says that it is yet to come for harvest, which could take another 15 days or more.
The optimum weather conditions are necessary for flowering, grain setting and formation of paddy. Even if the temperatures are below 15 degrees celsius, flowering will be affected, which will again result in low yield. The optimum temperature for paddy cultivation is between 25 and 35 degrees celsius.
The ideal time for harvest of Rabi paddy is by the end of February and the first week of March, as temperature would still be under 35 degree celsius. For this to happen, paddy needs to be sown in November itself. However, most of the Kharif paddy is expected to come for harvest in November, and soil preparation for Rabi cultivation will need at least 15 days time (minimum).
There is a window of opportunity in Nizamabad, parts of erstwhile Nalgonda and Warangal districts, where Kharif paddy harvesting has already been done, and the farmers could be getting ready to sow paddy soon after selling their produce.
For the Rabi 2022-23 season, the scientists at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) are suggesting eight short-duration paddy varieties - RNR 15048 (Telangana Sona), KNM 1638 (Kunaram Vari-2), WGL 962 (Warangal Vari-2), JGL 24423 (Jagityal Rice), KNM 118 (Kunaram Sannalu), RNR 10754 (Tella Hamsa), MTU 1010 (Cotton Dora Sannalu) and JGL 3844 (Jagityal Samba).
According to Agriculture Commissioner M Raghunandan Rao, though there are no restrictions in growing paddy in the coming Rabi season, it is advisable to cultivate short-duration varieties which will be communicated to the farmers by the agricultural extension officers and though awareness meetings which will soon be held across all the districts.
LOW YIELD WHEN TEMP AFFECTS FLOWERING
The optimum weather conditions are necessary for flowering, grain setting and formation of paddy. Even if the temperatures are below 15 degrees celsius, flowering will be affected, which will again result in low yield. The optimum temperature for paddy cultivation is between 25 and 35 degrees celsius