NEW DELHI: The bone-chilling cold with dense fog may have thrown normal life out of gear in northern and eastern India, but has led to the revival of rabi wheat crop.
The sowing acreage has surpassed the previous year’s record, and there is no report of the ‘yellow rust’ disease in the wheat growing region. Moreover, scientists are now expecting a spell of winter rain to boost the crops.
Early arrival of heat waves had marred wheat cultivation in last two years, leading to lesser production.
The total wheat sowing area reported on January 20 is 340.08 lakh hectares (Lh), which is 5.58 Lh more than the previous year. The acreage of wheat rose above the national average in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, while decreasing in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The acreage is average in Punjab and Haryana.
“In the last three weeks, there has been continuous dip in temperatures in both minimum and maximum below normal, which has rejuvenated wheat crops marred by the onset of warmer winter,” said Gyanendra Singh, director, Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal.
Singh predicts a bumper wheat crop in the upcoming rabi season. Apart from current climatic conditions, he also underlined other favourable factors such as the absence of stripe rust (yellow rust) disease.
“Our latest survey shows that there is no presence of yellow rust disease in wheat in Punjab and Haryana,” Singh told this newspaper, adding that IIWBR had surveyed this in late December.
The report also mentioned that Haryana and Punjab had completed 80% ‘timely’ sowing, which would prevent the loss of crops in the event of an early rise in temperatures like the last two years.
According to the report, in the Western UP, wheat sowing was very late due to the planting of potatoes and sugarcane.
Singh further said that there is a requirement for winter rainfall to further boost the wheat crops. “If a spell of winter rains happens, it will help in irrigation and help plants toget natural atmospheric nitrogen,” he explained.