The Hindu Business Line : More rains forecast

AFTER a lull, the offshore trough has become once again prominent along the west coast, which is expected to bring good precipitation in Kerala over the next few days. Coastal Karnataka and Konkan and Goa will also receive good rainfall during the period, according to the India Meteorological Department.

As per the Agromet Bulletin dated August 12 issued by the Met Office, Thiruvananthapuram, the season's rainfall (June 1 to September 11) has been `normal' in Idukki, Kannur, Kollam, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur districts. It was `deficient' in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kasaragod, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad.

Forecast valid until the morning of August 14 spoke about the possibility of rain at a few places in the State. Outlook for the subsequent two days did not indicate any change. Chief amounts of rainfall in cm are (August 9 to 11):

August 9: Munnar- four; and Perumbavur, Idukki and Ponnani - one each.

August 10: Kuppady - one.

Mean relative humidity varied between 65 per cent and 91 per cent in various districts, mean cloud coverage between four okta and six okta and mean wind speed, two kmph and 12 kmph.

Stage and stage of crops: Paddy crop has reached the flowering to milky stage of earhead development. A bout of attack from rice bug is likely and spraying operations have been set into motion wherever incidence has been reported from. Land preparation for sowing of the `Mundakan' crop has commenced.

New planting operations are on in arecanut, cashew and spices. Weeding is being resorted to in those cardamom plantations where the crop is ready for harvest. In vegetables, new planting, weeding and manuring operations are in progress.

Farm advisory: Land preparation and sowing of seeds may be continued for raising the second crop in paddy. Spraying of Mercaptothiun at two ml/litre of water is recommended against rice bug in the `Virippu' crop.

In pepper, spraying of one per cent Bordeaux mixture is recommended for controlling fungal diseases.

Drenching of soil around the vines and proper phytosanitation are also recommended for reigning in the spread of the disease.

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