The Hindu Business Line : Winter rains a discomforting factor for wheat

The only discomforting factor on the wheat crop front has been the lack of rainfall activity. The North-East monsoon has virtually bypassed the wheat belt, with total precipitation during the October-December quarter being 44 per cent below normal in Punjab-Haryana, while 70 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, 80 per cent in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and 90 per cent in Rajasthan.

"I don't see this as a problem now because wheat is grown under irrigated conditions across the Indo-Gangetic plain. Even in MP and western India, late South-West monsoon rains have meant there is enough of residual moisture in the soil," noted Dr S. Nagarajan, eminent wheat scientist and former Director, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).

In fact, it is the late August-September rains - not to speak of high open market prices - that really prompted farmers to go in for early wheat sowing this time. A good wet spell even at the present stage - when the crop is about a month away from flowering - would help not only prolong the winter, but also confer associated benefits of `free' irrigation and fixing incremental nitrogen from the atmosphere. "It would be ideal if there are rains between now and until end-February, before earhead emergence. Rains after that would make the earhead heavy and cause lodging. There could also be problems then of Karnal Bunt (a fungal disease affecting flour quality)," Dr Nagarajan added.

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