Dry Spell Hinders Growth of Cotton in Karimnagar

Karimnagar: Dry spell is hindering the growth of the cotton crop in Karimnagar district. Farmers, who sowed the crop by spending huge amounts, are worried over a likely decline in yield.

Farmers are concerned that the yield is likely to decline by 50 per cent if there’s no rainfall in the next ten days.

In the wake of deficit rainfall due to El Nino, the state government and the agriculture department advised farmers to avoid paddy cultivation this season and go for irrigated dry (ID) crops. However, despite repeated appeals, paddy has been cultivated massively this time too. Farmers having water sources have sowed the crop. Others cultivated cotton and other ID crops.

Compared to paddy, cotton requires less water. So, cotton was cultivated by many farmers. Cotton has been sown in about 46,000 acres in the district.

However, the crop is facing troubles right from the plantation. Though it was sown in the beginning of Kharif season, germination was delayed due to lack of rains. A similar situation continued following the dry spell. As a result, there is an impact on overall growth of the crop.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a farmer from Vedira of Ramadugu mandal, Meesala Lachaiah, said that though he cultivated the crop in the second week of June, it germinated by the end of July.

Normally, there should be long tufts by this time. However, the length of the tufts was very short. If the tufts were long, it was possible to get a number of flowers, which would convert into cotton. Since the length was short, the yield would automatically decline, he said.

Moreover, the crop was infected by leafhopper disease, which would have an adverse impact on the yield, said Lachaiah, who sowed cotton in two acres.

Another farmer from Goliramaiahpalli, Nugonda Mallesham, said that the next ten days were very crucial for the crop and the yield would be less if there was no rainfall in the next few days.

Though the crop required less water, the moisture content in the soil has been reduced due to the hot weather conditions as well as the continued dry spell.

Usually, it was possible to get up to 14 quintals of yield in an acre in normal soils and up to 20 quintals in black soil. However, this is likely to decline this time around, he opined.

Senior scientists and head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jammikunta, Dr N. Venkateshwar Rao said that cotton seedlings would not take nutrients during the dry spell. If this situation continued, the yield would decline.

Moreover, insects would easily attack the crop since the saplings are usually weak during the dry spell, he said.