The Hindu Business Line : Kerala: N-E monsoon `excess' in 2 districts

END of the season report by the Met Office, Thiruvananthapuram, indicates that the north-east monsoon (October 1, 2004, to December 31, 2004) has been in "excess" in only the Kannur and Thrissur districts.

The season ended up being "normal" in Pathanamthitta and "deficient" in Idukki and Thiruvananthapuram, three districts normally known to be subjected to the choicest from the seasonal weather system.

However, the unfolding of the New Year saw a slight reversal of this bleak trend when during the week ending January 5, the Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Wayanad districts returned "excess" rain figures; Idukki and Pathanamthitta "normal"; and Kottayam "scanty." No rain was reported in the rest six.

Chief amounts of rainfall in cm are (January 3 to 5):

January 3: Paravur, Perumbavur and Peermade - 1 each.

January 4: Kuppady - 2.

Mean minimum temperature varied between 21°C and 25°C in various districts in the State. Punalur recorded the lowest minimum of 20.2°C on January 5. It was 3° above normal in Kozhikode on January 3, 4 and 5.

Mean relative humidity varied between 53 per cent and 77 per cent; mean cloud coverage between two okta and five okta and mean wind speed, two kmph and 10 kmph.

Forecast valid until the morning of January 8 spoke about mainly dry weather. Outlook for the subsequent two days indicated no significant change.

Farm advisory: The tsunami-hit areas should maintain alert for the prospect of seawater having entered irrigation canals that opened out to the sea. Timely crop operations may be taken up except irrigation, which needs to be attempted only after accessing advisories issued by local Krishi Bhavans. Weeding, judicious water management and a second top dressing may be taken up in late-planted Mundakan paddy farms.

Paddy fields should also be watched for sheath blight and rot disease in the "boot leaves" stage. Spraying operations against mite attack in coconut trees should be persisted with. Plant protection measures against red palm weevil, coried bug, leaf rot and stem bleeding also need to be adopted. New planting can be continued in banana, tapioca and seasonal vegetables with assured irrigation source. Based on leaf fall intensity, rubber tapping may be temporarily withheld.

Nursery preparation for the Puncha paddy crop, coconut, arecanut and pepper can be carried on.

Stage and state of crops: Mundakan crop is in the flowering to "dough" stage. Water management and final weeding operations are proceeding apace. Late planted crop and the medium duration varieties have reached the late panicle initiation to boot leaf stage.

Main plant protection measures against rice bug and sheath blight disease are progressing. Intercultural operations, plant protection measures and shading of young plants are progressing in coconut gardens, pepper, arecanut, nutmeg, cardamom, turmeric and ginger.

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