MULTAN:Agriculture experts have issued a set of guidelines to farmers to save their crops, newly developed and small orchards and nurseries from frosty weather conditions that last from Dec end to Jan end.
In a statement issued here, an agriculture spokesman said that intense frost reduce weight of sugarcane and thus lessen the sugar content. Moreover, it also affect buds and lessen its capability to provide seed for the next crop. He advised farmers to irrigate the sugarcane field prepared for seed and avoid hoeing during frost.
The spokesman further said that Punjab produce almost 4.4 million ton potato. This crop is also affected by winter cold and frost and intense frosty conditions start blackening the edges of the potato leaf. Potato farmers should carefully listen to the weather forecast and apply light irrigation on the frosty night and give light smoke treatment by creating smoke around the crop field.
Frost also affects nurseries of tomato, chilli and egg plant besides cucumber and Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) sown in tunnels. Continued haze amid frost causes fruit dropping in kino, lemon, and guava crops. Other crops that are affected by frost included nurseries of potato, onion and guava besides Jawi, gram, Raya strawberry, fennel, kino, canola, sugarcane, lychee, peas, and Masoor pulse.
Potato, sugarcane, guava and kino are more important crops and these can survive for only a few frosty days, however, frost prolonged up to a week or more can affect their production. Leaf of some of these crops scorch due to frost like potato and sugarcane. Other crops like fennel, peas, and black cumin (kalonji) do not show this symptom but their growth is compromised and death of pollen reduces their fruit bearing capability.
Agriculture spokesman advised farmers to cover the plants to avoid them being scorched by frost. Plants can be covered by branches of trees. Sometimes farmers cover the plants by empty fertilizers bags. If they do so then they should keep the lower part of the bag open and remove this bag during day time.
Farmers should perform light irrigation of crops, vegetables and orchards and apply Bordo Paste on trunks of plants in orchards. Small nurseries and vegetables should be covered by plastic sheet and and farmers should give light smoke treatment in the afternoon in case of intense frost.
To save crops sown in tunnels, farmers should close the tunnel at 4 pm to keep temperature at suitable level inside it and open the tunnel next day at 10 am.
Experts advised farmers to prepare the land in a way that their rows run east to west and sowing via dibbling technique southward where more sunlight is available can lessen the frost impact.
To lessen negative impact on potato crop, farmers can apply different grades of NPK fertilizers containing Potassium at the rate of one kilogram per acre in 100 litres of water. These can be sprayed along with pesticides twice or thrice in first 60 days after completion of germination. Solo Potash in the ratio of 45:15:05 or NPK 44:02:13 can be sprayed. Winter winds from north can also damage crops and farmers can erect a fence on northern side to break cold wind’s pressure. Experts recommend that such fence should be formed two years before developing an orchard.
Sheesham fence should be erected 20 feet away from a kino or citrus orchard or a poplar fence at a distance of 10 feet. Fence of Bamboo plants be developed at a distance of 15×15 feet in case of mango orchard.