Agriculture deptartment issues farmers’ advisory on kharif season

DIMAPUR — In view of the climate change, which has resulted in higher frequency of natural disasters, the Director of Agriculture has issued an advisory to farmers on monsoon preparedness for the kharif (monsoon) season.

In a press release, the Agriculture department stated that northeast India including Nagaland is taking on a visible shift due to the impact of climate change, which has also resulted in higher frequency of natural disasters like droughts, floods, heat wave, hailstorm, etc.

The department has termed it as a major concern for agricultural productivity in general and food security in particular, including lower nutrition quality of produce.

It, therefore, stressed on the importance to evolve strategies and contingency plans to cope with the climate change for sustaining agricultural productivity and livelihoods of farming communities.

“This can be ensured by fully utilising existing scientific knowledge on early warning systems, weather-based crop planning, and timely dissemination of agro-advisories to farmers,” the release stated.

Accordingly, the department issued a farmers’ advisory, which are as follows:

* For jhum or shifting cultivation, the department advised staggered log bunding across the slope to check run-off water in case of heavy rainfall

* To identify areas for gully plucking with locally available materials.

* To be vigilant for real time assessment and monitoring of crop situation, pests situation or any natural calamity.

* To perform scouting on Fall Army Worm (FAW) in maize crop and other field crops.

* Weeding operation should be carried out on timely interval to check crop-weed competition.

* Timely removal and destruction of pest and disease infected plant parts, weeds from the fields.

* Encourage farmers to adopt integrated farming system approach.

* Adopt systematic staggered sowing (two weeks apart) in nursery bed in WTRC/TRC to cope with climate unpredictability.

* Prepare side-drains around nursery beds to prevent damages from flash floods and wash-off.

* Early field preparation for WTRC/TRC; and adoption of direct-seeding in case of late monsoon.

* Adopt line transplanting or SRI in paddy for better moisture and weed management.

* As far as possible, use young paddy seedlings for better plant health and crop yield

* Reserve seeds for re-sowing in case of any crop failure.

Further, in case of any incidences of pest and diseases outbreak and natural calamity, farmers are advised to immediately report to the nearest district or sub-divisional agriculture office.