Farmers Urged To Take Steps To Cut Losses, Prevent Disease Outbreak
To prevent panicle mite and grain spot, farmers should spray a mixture of 200 ml Spiromesifen and 200 ml Propiconazole per acre: Dr Vijay Bhaskar
WARANGAL: The coordinator of the Telangana Rythu Vignana Kendram, Dr A. Vijay Bhaskar, issued an urgent advisory to farmers, urging them to take immediate measures to protect their crops, minimise losses, and prevent disease outbreaks after heavy rainfall from Cyclone Montha left many fields submerged and harvested produce soaked in floodwater across the erstwhile Warangal district.
In a statement, Dr Vijay Bhaskar advised that paddy (vari) at the milky to harvest stage requires immediate attention. Fields should be drained through channels, and lodged bundles carefully straightened. To prevent panicle mite and grain spot, farmers should spray a mixture of 200 ml Spiromesifen and 200 ml Propiconazole per acre. A 5 per cent salt solution should also be sprayed on wet, mature panicles to prevent germination.
For cotton (patti) crops affected by boll rot and wilt disease, he recommended spraying Copper Oxychloride (3 g per litre of water) at the plant base for wilt control. Boll rot can be managed by mixing Copper Oxychloride (30 g) with Streptocycline (1 g per 10 litres of water). Harvested cotton should be air-dried and stored in plastic bags to avoid further damage.
Red gram (kandi), which is prone to phytophthora wilt due to waterlogging, should be treated by drenching the base with Metalaxyl (2 g per litre of water) after the rains. Maize (mokkajonna) cobs and grains should be kept dry and thoroughly air-dried before storage to prevent spoilage.
For chilli (mirapa) crops, root rot can be managed with a base drench of Copper Oxychloride (3 g per litre of water). Upward leaf curl caused by pests should be controlled using yellow and blue sticky traps and a spray of Fipronil (2 ml per litre of water). In turmeric (pasupu), rhizome rot can be treated with Metalaxyl plus Mancozeb fungicide, and rhizome weevil can be controlled using Carbofuran granules.
Dr Vijay Bhaskar further advised farmers to use the residual soil moisture from recent rains for Rabi season sowing, encouraging them to plant rain-fed dryland crops such as maize, jowar, groundnut, green gram, and black gram.