INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over effect of rising temperature level on general output of wheat and mustard, the federal government has
established a committee to keep track of the situation and problem advisories to farmers on adopting micro watering to decrease the damage
and prevent the repeat of last year when the output had declined due to early start of heatwave.Though there will not be an effect of rise
in temperature on early-sown varieties and heat resistant ranges of wheat, it is estimated that the standing crop which was planted in
December-January will be affected to an extent of 5-10% if the heat conditions aggravate ahead of harvest
Boost in temperature level may likewise affect the production of mustard in between 4-6%
The temperature level rise will impact the yield of both mustard and wheat
Itll impact wheat more extremely
In the wheat-sugarcane cycle the majority of the wheat is planted in the December-January window which amounts to 60% of the overall wheat
The wheat planted late is either in the boot or milking stage and therefore higher temperature level will result in shriveling of grains,
stated farm specialist, Sudhir Panwar.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted that the north-west, main and west
India might record 3 to five degrees above normal optimal temperature levels over the next five days.Many parts of the nation, coinciding
with the wheat and mustard growing zones such as Punjab, Haryana, western UP and Madhya Pradesh, are currently recording higher than typical
The wheat crop typically enters the grain fill phase in March and any unusual rise in temperature might cause yield damage.Panwar, previous
member of the Uttar Pradesh preparing commission, stated, If predictions on temperature turn appropriate, it will result in a 10% lower
yield in wheat and 4-6% in mustard
The governments move on establishing a committee comes in the backdrop of a projection by the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre
(MNCFC) that maximum temperature in significant wheat producing locations disallowing Madhya Pradesh was higher-than-normal of the last 7
years during the very first week of February.The committee will have members from farming ministry and also from Karnal-based Wheat Research
Institute and agents from significant wheat growing states.The ministry has actually approximated wheat production at a record-level of
around 112 million tonnes (MT) in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June cycle)
Its output had actually decreased marginally to almost 108 MT in the previous year due to early heat wave conditions in some states.
