Ludhiana. The above normal temperatures starting from the end of February may adversely affect the wheat crop in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of North West India.
Punjab which had a record production of 157 lakh tonnes of wheat from 35.26 lakh hectare last year is expecting to produce 160 lakh tonnes from 35.21 lakh hectare this year. The state accounts for 60 per cent of the wheat in the Central Food Pool.
There are two main factors which may adversely affect the yield of rabi crops. The first one is the scanty rainfall and the second is the associated temperature fluctuations during the prevailing period.
While stating this here today Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) agrometeorologist, Dr K K Gill saod that the frequency of the western disturbances during the winter period which bring rain and control the daytime and night-time temperatures has not been satisfactory, particularly, over Punjab and its adjoining areas.
She said that the western disturbances did not bring sufficient rainfall over Punjab. It happened because of the fact that no intense low pressure area was formed over Punjab and its neighborhood which could bring the cloud systems over here and the temperatures remained continuously above normal.
In the first week of March, both the maximum and minimum temperatures remained above normal by about 3 degree celsius without any rainfall occurrence, she contended. Thereafter it started increasing during second and third week and the temperatures remained above normal.
Jharkhand
