Agri experts moot windbreaks
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PUNE:
Scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
institutes, who recently surveyed the damage caused by hailstorms, have
recommended raising of permanent windbreaks or shelterbelts on the
windward side and growing genotypes to avoid failure of all crops.
Windbreaks comprise a hedge, fence, or a row of trees that can reduce or break the force of wind.
Officials in the agricultural department also said they are trying to convince the government to allow compensation for harvested crops though there is no provision at present. Crops on 32,000 hectares and fruits on 9,600 hectares in Pune district alone were damaged.
After the recent hailstorms, termed by scientists as one of the biggest in the region in terms of the agricultural area affected, teams of scientists from various Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutes were constituted to visit some of the affected areas to take stock of the situation, suggest short-term advisories and contingency plans.
Scientists at ICAR in Delhi told TOI on Tuesday that the 'unusual spell' of hailstorm in the state affected considerable area of rabi crops, and farmers who had cultivated bananas, melons, grapes and oranges have faced severe damages.
They said the extended hailstorm adversely affected most parts of Marathwada, western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and Vidarbha, Baramati, Pune, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, Nashik, Akola, Buldhana, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, Jalgaon, Nanded, Nandurbar and Dhule. Horticultural crops have been affected the most, they said.
A senior official from Hyderabad-based Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) under ICAR told TOI, "Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have been the most affected regions due to the hailstorm since the third week of February."
Some advisories issued by ICAR include uprooting damaged banana and papaya trees and taking up new plantations, pruning damaged branches of mango and pomegranate and proper application of fungicide to prevent pathogen infection. Uprooted plants of mango and pomegranate should also be replanted, the advisory said.
Similar advisories were issued on crop protection against frost damage. State agriculture officials based in the city also issued advisories prepared by various agricultural universities in the state. "Farmers were advised to go for re-sowing of summer crops if there was too much damage. Establishing nets around orchards to reduce damage caused by heavy winds, removing damaged fruits from branches, application of fungicides to prevent incidence of downy mildew and fruit flies in humid weather conditions were the other measures," the official said.
Windbreaks comprise a hedge, fence, or a row of trees that can reduce or break the force of wind.
Officials in the agricultural department also said they are trying to convince the government to allow compensation for harvested crops though there is no provision at present. Crops on 32,000 hectares and fruits on 9,600 hectares in Pune district alone were damaged.
After the recent hailstorms, termed by scientists as one of the biggest in the region in terms of the agricultural area affected, teams of scientists from various Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutes were constituted to visit some of the affected areas to take stock of the situation, suggest short-term advisories and contingency plans.
Scientists at ICAR in Delhi told TOI on Tuesday that the 'unusual spell' of hailstorm in the state affected considerable area of rabi crops, and farmers who had cultivated bananas, melons, grapes and oranges have faced severe damages.
They said the extended hailstorm adversely affected most parts of Marathwada, western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and Vidarbha, Baramati, Pune, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, Nashik, Akola, Buldhana, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, Jalgaon, Nanded, Nandurbar and Dhule. Horticultural crops have been affected the most, they said.
A senior official from Hyderabad-based Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) under ICAR told TOI, "Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have been the most affected regions due to the hailstorm since the third week of February."
Some advisories issued by ICAR include uprooting damaged banana and papaya trees and taking up new plantations, pruning damaged branches of mango and pomegranate and proper application of fungicide to prevent pathogen infection. Uprooted plants of mango and pomegranate should also be replanted, the advisory said.
Similar advisories were issued on crop protection against frost damage. State agriculture officials based in the city also issued advisories prepared by various agricultural universities in the state. "Farmers were advised to go for re-sowing of summer crops if there was too much damage. Establishing nets around orchards to reduce damage caused by heavy winds, removing damaged fruits from branches, application of fungicides to prevent incidence of downy mildew and fruit flies in humid weather conditions were the other measures," the official said.
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