Wheat crop in north-west India is at different stages in different states depending on the sowing period and the current maximum and minimum temperature is within the tolerance limit of the plant, reducing any risk of lower yield even if there is slight rise in temperature as predicted, experts said.
“Many of the varieties adopted by farmers are now climate resilient and as long as night is cooler and minimum temperature is within 15 Degree Celsius, wheat is safe,” said Gyanendra Singh, former Director of Karnal-based Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The wheat plant, which was sown in normal time before November 20, has heading already at most places and it will take around 50 days to mature from appearance of heading, Singh said and added that the varieties in current stage can withstand day temperature up to 35 Degree Celsius. However, farmers have been advised to keep the field lightly irrigated so that it does not dry.
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India Meteorological Department on Sunday said that there may be gradual rise in minimum temperature by 2-3 Degree C over north-west and central India, by 1-3 Degree C over Rajasthan and by 2-3 Degree C over east India during next 3-4 days.
It also said that there may be gradual rise in maximum temperature by 1-3 Degree C over north-west and central India, by about 2 Degree C over Bihar and 2-3 Degree C over northeast India during next 3-4 days.
“Day temperature on Sunday was markedly above normal (5 Degree C or more) at many places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, appreciably above normal (by 3-5 Degree C) at many places over Gujarat, Rajasthan, northern parts of Madhya Pradesh and south Uttar Pradesh,” IMD bulletin said.
But, night temperature was below normal by (1-4 Degree C) over west Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, though it was above normal (1-4 Degree C) at many places over north-west and adjoining central India.
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The weather bureau has also predicted a fresh western disturbance to impact the western Himalayan regions and adjoining plains from night of February 18 and will continue till February 20 with peak intensity on February 19-20. As a result of it, isolated to scattered light rainfall/snowfall will be seen over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh during February 17-22, isolated light rainfall over west Rajasthan during February 17-19, over Punjab and Haryana on February 19-20, over east Rajasthan on February 18-19, over west Uttar Pradesh on February 20.
The sowing data shows that wheat acreage was at record 324.38 lakh hectare (lh) until February 4 in the ongoing rabi season as compared to a total coverage of 318.33 lh in the entire season last year. The government has fixed a target of 115 million tonnes (mt) production this year, up from actual 113.29 mt last year.