HYDERABAD: In light of rains across the state, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) in Hyderabad released instructions for farmers on Monday.
Dr Raghu Rami Reddy, Registrar and Director of Research at PJTSAU, said that spraying pesticides in fields should be postponed due to the possibility of light to moderate rains for the next three days.
Farmers have been instructed to remove sewage water from the fields in areas with heavy rainfall. As thunder and lightning are also forecasted, they are advised to keep their distance from the electric poles, power lines and puddles.
They are also instructed to abstain from keeping cattle, goats and sheep under the trees.
The University has noted that July 31 is the ideal date to sow short-duration (120-125 days) rice varieties in water-rich areas. Short-duration and medium-duration varieties of rice should be planted.
As per the university, the paddy farmers who have not yet started sowing can take advantage of the rains and directly plant the seedlings. As Maize cannot tolerate much water in the seedling stage, water should be removed from fields immediately, the university said.
The University added that heavy rains can cause phosphorus deficiency in the soil and the plants may turn purple. To prevent this, five grams of NPK 19-19-19 or 20 grams of DAP per litre of water should be sprayed on the plants after the rains stop.
It further informed that the current weather conditions make vegetable crops vulnerable to leaf spot infection. One gram of Carbendazim or one millilitre of Propiconazole should be mixed with a litre of water and sprayed twice at 15-day intervals to counter this.