Wheat experts of PAU issue advisory for farmers
06 October 2020, Ludhiana, IN: The wheat experts of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have advised the farmers to avoid early sowing of wheat where paddy fields are severely infested with pink stem borer.
According to the recent survey conducted by the PAU scientists, little infestation of paddy crop by pink stem borer in isolated fields of districts Sangrur and Barnala has been noticed. “The attack of pink stem borer is generally observed in September-October on paddy crop. Its larva bores into the stem of young plant and kills the central shoot, resulting into ‘dead heart’ at vegetative stage and causes white ears at panicle bearing stage,” they added.
The farmers are advised to remain vigilant and regularly monitor their paddy crop, especially, the fields where long duration varieties of paddy viz. Pusa 44, Peeli Pusa etc are grown, stressed the experts. The pink stem borer can be carried to next wheat crop in heavily infested paddy fields, they warned.
Farmers are advised to avoid early sowing (October) of wheat in such fields, said the experts. Where no infestation of pink stem borer is observed in paddy fields, the sowing of wheat crop can be started after October 25 when maximum temperature falls below 30oC and minimum temperature below 16 oC, they advised. Very early sown crop (October 15) will not yield better tillers due to high temperature at tillering stage and yield might be reduced, they added.
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