As monsoon gets delayed, Telangana asks farmers to defer kharif sowing plans

With weathermen predicting a rainfall deficit in June, the Telangana government has issued an advisory asking farmers not to rush into sowing. The sporadic rains of the last few days are not monsoon rains, it warned.

“Going by the forecasts, rainfall in June is likely to be 60-70 per cent lower than the average figures. But we expect 60-70 per cent more rainfall in July and September,” a spokesperson for the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) said.

Officials of the Telangana State Agriculture Department, PJTSAU and the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture reviewed the monsoon’s status and came out with the advisory.

They estimated that the northern parts of the State are likely to receive 50-60 per cent more rain in August. The southern districts are expected to receive lower than the normal rainfall.

On the whole, the kharif season is expected to see normal rainfall. Reservoirs in the Krishna basin are expected to receive water much later than normal.

The delayed monsoon has left cotton farmers disappointed. The State grows cotton on about 45 lakh acres, followed by paddy and maize.

For short-duration paddy varieties, farmers have till July 31 to sow, while for medium term varieties they can wait till July 10.

“They should wait till the fields are sufficiently wet for rainfed crops such as cotton, soya, maize, jowar and pulses.

Fall ArmyWorm

The farmers are also advised not to grow maize on light soils. Scientists at the university said Fall ArmyWorm might attack the maize crop. “We advise the farmers to be ready with pheromone traps and keep an eye on the worms and take necessary action to address the problem,” the university official said.

With regard to the cotton crop, the university suggested farmers opt for hybrid varieties that give big bolls in irrigated areas. In rainfed areas, they have been advised to use seeds that give medium-size bolls.