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Vinson Kurian

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 30

Surplus monsoon rains in most of the country’s farming heartland (save the deficit North and Northwest) may help maintain adequate soil moisture to enable early sowing of the winter (rabi) crop.

Some of these rains fell late in the season over a wide swath extending from southwest Rajasthan, Saurashtra and Gujarat into central India and covering almost the whole of east and northeast India.

Canal water reserves are now thought to be sufficient, although monsoon rains failed the Met sub-division of Himachal Pradesh during the just-concluded season. But the rest of the hilly regions have received varying amounts of seasonal rainfall.

Boosting the case of a bumper rabi crop (especially wheat) further is the early forecasts by international models of average to above average rains and average to relatively cooler winter in these regions.

October-November-December is forecast to witness normal to above normal rains in central India and adjoining east India.

But they would be normal or slightly less for the North and Northwest.

This quarter might also bring cooler than normal temperatures over a region extending from Gujarat to east and northeast India. Winter rains are seen returning to the North and Northwest during January-February-March of 2008.

Wheat crop thrives mainly on favourably cool weather, availability of irrigation and rains during critical growth stages. Although the vast majority of the wheat production occurs under irrigation, occasional rains help significantly save costs that irrigation entails.

Early and timely sowing, adequate timely availability of fertilisers, good and timely winter rain and no warm temperature anomalies during the months of February, March and April go to ensure a good winter crop.

The high temperatures on both ends of the wheat season restrict the cultivation of this crop in India to the cooler months. High temperatures in September do not permit good tillering of the crop. The hot summer during the grain ripening period hastens the maturity of the crop.

More Stories on : Climate & Weather | Cultivation

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