Untimely rains stoke fears of damage to wheat, mustard crops | Lucknow News
Lucknow: The untimely rains that lashed parts of UP on Friday stoked fears of damage to the agriculturally crucial wheat and mustard crops, which happened to have entered the harvesting stage in the months of Feb and March.The rains, which were accompanied by strong winds, are feared to have “lodged” (the permanent displacement of the crop stems from their natural upright position) the crop, affecting its production in UP, the country’s biggest producer of wheat. “We are assessing the situation. If the crop faced lodging, then it would dip the production. An intensive assessment would be done accordingly,” director general of Uttar Pradesh Council of Agricultural Research (UPCAR), Sanjay Singh told TOI. UP is the largest wheat producer in India, contributing 30% to 32% of the country’s total wheat production. In UP, wheat production is estimated at roughly 35 million tonnes. He said that the untimely rains may also have damaged the mustard crop, which too was in the harvesting stage. UP is a major contributor to India’s mustard production, currently ranking as the third-largest producer in the country, accounting for approximately 14.24% of national output. Singh said that the conditions, otherwise, have been very suitable for the timely sown and late varieties of wheat in UP. He said that the night temperature, critical for the growth and maturity of wheat, hovered in the range of 20 degrees Celsius, considered highly suitable for the growth of the crop.Singh, however, said if the wheat crop survived the rains and strong winds, then the production may go up and the moisture could help improve the quality of wheat grain. Nevertheless, experts said, if the rains persisted near harvesting time, then the grains may start germinating while still on the plant. This could make the wheat unfit for storage and less suitable for flour production. The untimely rains, raising the humidity level, could also promote diseases like rust (yellow/brown rust), smut and blight.
