MULTAN: The agriculture department on Tuesday issued a set of guidelines for farmers on how to ensure crop care in case of weather forecast of rains or windstorm.
Agriculture spokesman said, in a statement, the prevailing weather conditions raise apprehensions of damage to wheat, maize, and fodder crops due to possibility of seasonal rains or windstorm and farmers must adopt preventive measures in the light of weather forecast.
The farmers should listen to weather forecast aired via Radio and television and stop wheat harvest in case of rain or windstorm forecast.
They should also cover the harvested wheat by some sheet or tarpaulin. When the rain is over, farmers should spread the wheat on some platform and expose it before sunlight for dryness.
Wheat harvest should begin only when the crop attained maturity. The harvested wheat be fastened in smaller stacks and placed in a way that fruit part should be in upward direction. Ditches be dug for water drainage near the field. The spokesman said that wheat harvest by combined harvester reduces losses to a great extent.
Maize farmers should drain out the rain water from their production field to the nearby empty field to avoid plants wilting due to moist conditions. Moist weather conditions also invite pest attack and farmers must adopt measures to control pest after consulting agriculture officials. Farmers should also drain out excess rain water from fodder fields to nearby empty field or ditches.