The Hindu Business Line : Monsoon shifts gears in Kerala

A`FRESH pulse' saw the south-west monsoon end a distinctive but short lull, shift gears and revive bringing the entire State under its influence during the week ending June 9.

But rainfall continued to be concentrated in the north, according to the Agromet Bulletin dated June 10 issued by the Thiruvananthapuram Met Office. This was more or less discernible from the weekend scorecard that classified the rainfall during the week ending June 9 as being only `normal' in Alappuzha, Kollam and Kottayam districts and `deficient' in Thiruvananthapuram.

Among the northern districts, however, Wayanad also returned `deficient' record.

The following districts recorded `excess' rainfall during the week: Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragode, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur. The same pattern held true for the official monsoon season starting June 1.

Chief amounts of rainfall in cm are (June 7 to 9):

June 7: Kudulu and Vadakkancherry - eight each; Thrissur - seven; Chengannur - 6; Piravom, Kasaragode and Hosdurg - five each; and Peermade, Munnar, Punalur, Vadakara, Ponnani, Thiruvalla, Kunnamkulam and Chalakkudy - three each.

June 8: Kannur and Thalassery - 11 each; Munnar, Kasaragode, Hosdurg and Konni - seven each; Kayamkulam, Haripad, Peermade, Kudulu, Koilandy, Ponnani, Pattambi and Thrithala - five each.

June 9: Munnar and Kannur - seven each; Hosdurg, Kudulu and Koilandy - five each; and Thalassery, Kasaragode, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Vadakara - four each.

Mean relative humidity varied between 71 per cent and 93 per cent, mean cloud coverage between five and eight okta and mean wind speed, two and 12 kmph.

Forecast valid until the morning of June 12 spoke about the possibility rain at many places in al districts. A heavy rainfall warning has been issued for the entire State during the next 48 hours. Outlook for the two subsequent days did not indicate any significant change.

Stage and state of crops: In paddy, land preparation, application of manure and fertilisers and transplanting are on for the `Virippu' crop, while top dressing is being taken up in the direct sown crop at the end of weeding operations. In coconut gardens, digging of interspaces and fertiliser application are gathering pace.

Drainage facilities are being streamlined for coconut, arecanut, pepper, nutmeg and cardamom.

Advisory for four days: In pepper, quick wilt disease can be controlled by drenching the vines with copper oxy chloride at four gm/litre or Bordeaux mixture at 1.0 per cent. All infected and dead vines should be removed and burnt to avoid spread of disease. Drainage should be improved to avoid water stagnation.

Planting of budded plants in rubber and poly bag seedlings in cardamom can also be continued with. Weeding and fertiliser application can be taken up for all crops.

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