Delay in transplantation affects paddy in Vizianagaram

Vizianagaram: This kharif is not favourable for the farmers as they are facing many problems like pests and diseases due to delay in transplantation. Actually, kharif begins in June and the farmers have to prepare nurseries in that month and complete their transplantation by July. But due to delay in arrival of monsoon and scanty rainfall in June and July, the transplantation was not completed on time.

Though the nurseries are withering farmers could not do anything. But the farmers, who have water supply either from borewells or channels, could complete transplantation in right time but the rest of the farmers in rain fed areas waited till the end of August for rains.

Anyhow, the district could receive good rainfall in mid-August and it is continued till the end of this month. The district received 168.5 mm of rainfall against the normal rainfall of 140 mm during this month. But the agriculture officers say that late transplantation would affects the yield.

Generally, average yield per acre would be 18 to 20 quintals but late transplantation would affect the yield and even the quality too. M Nukam Naidu, a farmer of Thotapalli village, said that his one acre of paddy was affected with rice gall midge (Ulli Kodu). The crop will be damaged with this pest.

B Lakshmana Babu, assistant director of agriculture department, said: “The farmers should prefer the seed varieties which can successfully face such pests. Early transplantation is the only remedy for it”.

K Surapunaidu, a farmer of Kandivalasa village, said that his paddy crop in one acre was affected with stemborer due to late transplantation and he need to spray pesticide to control it and stated that it would be an additional burden for him”.

Agriculture officer of Garugubilli P Sunil Kumar said that delay in transplantation will definitely affects the yield. The total yield may come down by 25 per cent. The farmers should take care of their crops and take damage control methods.