As strong surface winds at the rate of 10 to 20 km per hour prevailing in Punjab, Haryana, west UP and Rajasthan and is likely to continue for some days, the Agromet unit of India Meteorological Department (IMD) has adviced farmers of these regions not to spray chemicals on crops.

ADVICE TO FARMERS: Meteorologist, Anand K Sharma stated that the surface winds are likely to cease after some days and there would be a rise in temperature.

He stated that at this time irrigation should be applied to mustard crops in north India which is in podding stage. But farmers should wait for the surface winds to cease. Irrigation should not be applied to the fields already having enough soil moisture.

In Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan where frost is likely to occur at a few places, farmers are adviced to apply light irrigation during evening or night to the crops when the surface wind speed isless.

WEATHER REVIEW: According to IMD, an unusual depression was formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and was located 750 km southeast of Chennai in the morning of February 2. The system intensified into a cyclonic storm in the morning of February 3. Thereafter it weakened into a deep depression in the same afternoon when it was centered about 650 km of Chennai. It further weakened gradually and became unimportant.

During the previous week two western disturbances as upper air conditions moved across the northwest India. Under their influence rain or snow occurred at most places in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and at many places in the hills of west UP. Rainfall also occurred at most places in Punjab and Haryana, at many places in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, at a few places in West Rajasthan and plains of UP and at isolated places in east Rajasthan, west MP, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.

Cold wave conditions prevailed in some partsof Punjab, Rajasthan, north Gujarat, plains of UP and north central Maharashtra.

Night temperatures were below normal by 2øc to 3øc in south central Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu on some days of the previous week. These were above normal by 2øC to 3øC in northeastern states during the first half of the week and nearly normal elsewhere in the country. The lowest temperature in the plains of the country was 1.7øC recorded at Amritsar in Punjab on February 3.

CROP SITUATION

WHEAT: The sowing of wheat is complete in all the wheat growing states. The total reported coverage under wheat is 26.87 million hectare as compared to 24.08 million hectare covered during the corresponding period in the previous year. The normal area coverage under wheat is 25.54 million hectare.

RABI RICE: The sowing or transplanting of rice in all rabi rice producing states is in progress. Area under rabi rice has been reported to be 2.68 million hectare as compared to 2.54 million hectare coveredduring the corresponding period in the previous year.

COARSE CEREALS: The sowing of barley and rabi jowar is complete. In case of barley, 0.834 million hectare has been reported to be covered as compared to 0.796 million hectare in the corresponding period in the previous year. Area coverage under jowar is 4.86 million hectare as compared to 5.85 million hectare during the like period last year. Less area coverage under jowar is due to shortfall in coverage of about 0.725 million hectare in Maharashtra. The state had earlier informed that this area under jowar coverage has been diverted to wheat and gram. About 0.316 million hectare has been diverted to wheat and about 0.19 million hectare has been diverted to gram.

In case of rabi maize 0.55 million hectare has been reported to be covered as compared to 0.52 million hectare during the like period in the previous year.

RABI OILSEEDS: Area coverage under rabi oilseeds so far is 9.91 million hectare as compared to 10.12 million hectarecovered during the like period last year. Coverage under rapeseed and mustard is 6.72 million hectare as compared to 6.88 million hectare covered during the like period in the previous year.

PULSES: The area coverage under pulses is reported to be 14.09 million hectare as compared to 12.59 million hectare during the corresponding period in the previous year. Coverage under Bengalgram is 8.45 million hectare as compared to 7.25 million hectare covered during the corresponding period last year.