Warm Dec may lead to reduced rabi yield

The state having not witnessed intensive cold conditions so far and second fortnight of December being warm has left farmers worried over the quality of rabi crops, especially wheat, with possibilities that the yield could be lesser this season unless there is a drop in mercury in next one fortnight, officials and experts in the agriculture department said.

- Anirban Guha Roy

PATNA:

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts, the state in next three days is expected to witness dry weather, with minimum and maximum temperatures varying from 22-24-26 to 10-12-14 degrees Celsius in the districts across Bihar. State weather officials said there were possibilities that cold conditions might intensify in coming one week.

However, agriculture officials said the maximum and minimum temperature during the second fortnight of December remaining 3-6 degrees Celsius higher than the normal had already affected crops like wheat and potato.

AK Singh, director research, Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, PUSA, Samastipur, said, "Due to higher temperatures, tillering was severely affected in the wheat crop sown during 15-30 November. Moreover, growth and development was not up to the mark despite good management practices."