Hyderabad: The maize crop sown in Telangana is under threat due to the ongoing dry spell. Unless the areas that are under cultivation of these crops receive rains in the next couple of days, maize sown across 5.62 lakh hectares will wither in the rain-fed areas of Mahabub-nagar, Medak and other districts.
The area sown under maize in the state increased to 5,62,763 hectare this Kharif season compared to the normal of 4,90,515 hectare. The total area under all crops sown in Telangana is 34 lakh ha till date against the normal area of 43.43 lakh ha.
Maize, red gram, green gram, black gram and soya bean account for 100 per cent area sown in the state while jowar, groundnut and turmeric account for 76 per cent to 100 per cent of the season’s normal.
The dry spell for the last 10 days is taking a toll on crops in the rain-fed areas across the state, particularly on maize. “The dry spell has put maize under critical withering conditions. The next one week is quite critical for the crop. Unless there are immediate rains, the crop will wither. There is no problem for cotton or some other crops so far,” said Mr C. Parthasarathy, principal secretary of Agriculture, on Tuesday.
Asked about paddy, he said since paddy was sown in borewell or water resource areas only, deficiency of rain will not have any major effect on the crop. “The problem is with rain-fed crops like maize,” he added. Met officials too say that a long dry spell in Telangana will have a severe effect on agriculture.
“Dry spells lead to moisture stress and affect crop growth,” a senior official said.
According to the Meteorological department, Telangana has received 486 mm of rainfall since June 1, as against a normal of 536 mm, a drop of 9 per cent.
Though the shifting strength of monsoon has been construed as normal, it is taking a toll on crops like maize, which are sown on shallow surfaces as against the deep rooted crops like cotton, red gram, Bengal gram and others, said Agriculture officials from the state.
