Farmers advised to start wheat cultivation in rain-fed areas from October 15

Faisalabad:Farmers have been advised to commence cultivation of wheat in rain-fed areas of Punjab from October 15 and complete it by November 15. A spokesman for the Agriculture (Extension) Department said here on Monday the use certified seed along with adoption of modern techniques help growers to improve crop establishment and obtain maximum yield. Therefore, farmers in rain-fed areas should cultivate the approved wheat varieties including Shiraz-23, Urooj-22, Nishan-21, MA-21, Markaz-19, Barani-17, Fateh Jang-16 and Pakistan-13. He advised the growers to use 40 to 50 kilograms of seed per acre and ensure that the seed were certified and obtained from approved varieties to achieve better crop establishment. He said the recommended sowing period for wheat in rain-fed areas was from October 15 to November 15. Therefore, farmers should complete sowing within the period while taking into account local conditions and the moisture available in their fields, he added. He stressed that farmers should accurately me
asure their fields before determining the quantities of seed, fertilizers, agricultural pesticides and other inputs required as appropriate application rates were imperative for efficient resource utilization. Regarding land preparation, he advised farmers to plough their fields with a conventional plough before sowing and follow the operation with planking to destroy weeds that emerge ahead of crop establishment. He said that farmers should carry out two ploughing before sowing, followed by heavy planking, to bring moisture into the upper soil layer and prepare a suitable seedbed. He said that additional ploughing and planking should be undertaken wherever necessary to eliminate emerging weeds, create a fine, friable layer of soil and conserve water absorbed into the ground. He emphasized that moisture conservation was particularly important for wheat cultivation in rain-fed areas where crop growth largely depended on available soil moisture and rainfall. He also recommended sowing wheat with a seed drill to
ensure proper seed placement and uniform crop establishment. He said that farmers should apply the entire recommended quantity of fertilizer during land preparation before sowing. The growers should follow the prescribed recommendations for seed selection, sowing time, land preparation and fertilizer application to make effective use of available resources and improve wheat production in rain-fed areas, he added.