The wheat crop in the food basket of the country is in shambles. Unusual widespread rains accompanied by strong winds caused damage to wheat crop in Punjab and Haryana which is likely to have adverse impact on overall yield of winter crop in both the States.
Wheat crop at several places, including Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Nawanshahar, Mohali, Tarn Taran in Punjab and a few districts including Palwal and Yamunanagar in Haryana has flattened because of rain and high velocity winds, officials of agriculture department said.
“lodging has taken place in several wheat fields at different places in Punjab because of rain and strong winds,” an official of Punjab Agriculture department said.lodging refers to term used to describe crop falling flat on the ground due to heavy rain and winds which causes yield loss in crop.
Experts pointed out if showers continue for some more days, it can cause delay in crop harvesting.In past 24 hours, rains lashed several places including Chandigarh (13.7 mm), Ambala (6.3mm), Hisar (0.6mm), Karnal (2.6mm), Bhiwani (2.6 mm), Panchkula (8mm), Amristar (11.1mm), ludhiana (4.8mm) and Patiala (4.3mm).
Met department has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers at a many places in Punjab and Haryana during next 24 hours. It has also warned that hailstorms or thundersqualls with speed exceeding 45 kmph may also occur at isolated places.
An official of Haryana agriculture department said that the revenue department is in the process of assessing crop loss because of rains. “Rain at this stage was not desirable as the crop is nearing maturity and current weather conditions could severely affect crop yield,” PunjabAgriculture department director MS Sandhu said.
He further said the current weather conditions are conducive for yellow rust attack on wheat crop. “Weather should have been normal at this stage for proper ripening of crop,” he said.
Because of rain which lashed on March 1, about 20 per cent of wheat crop at 5,000 acres of land in Bathinda has got damaged, said Sandhu.Punjab and Haryana, which are major foodgrain growing States, have 38 lakh hectares and 25 lakh hectares of area, respectively,” under wheat in current rabi season.