Nashik Agromet Advisory -
Mango
Fertilizer Management
- When the rainfall intensity is low, apply farmyard manure, urea, single super phosphate, and potash fertilizers to the mango grafts—adjusted according to their age—using the 'ring method' (applying fertilizer in a circular trench around the tree), and incorporate Azotobacter and PSB.
- Fertilizers should be applied in a trench dug along the tree's canopy spread; additionally, during the initial stages, crops such as finger millet (nachni), little millet (varai), sesame, groundnut, vegetables, and tuber crops can be cultivated as intercrops.
Grapes
Maturity Stage
- Early maturity of the cane will be important. Therefore, preference should be given to cutting ends and tying sticks on wire.
- This means that the canopy will receive sunlight and help the air to circulate.
- This will not create a microclimate in the available canopy. Reducing the amount of potassium and water will help vine maturity in the vineyard.
- Grape growers will notice that the cane has turned a milky color from the bottom.
- These sticks are an indication of maturity.
- Reducing the amount of water and spraying with potassium will help to achieve maturity of the cane.
- Disease outbreaks can be controlled by spraying biological agents in humid environments.
Pomegranate
Fertilizer Management
- After harvesting the fruit, prune pencil-thick branches to a length of 60 cm and remove broken, intertwined, or diseased branches as well as water shoots to ensure sunlight penetrates the tree canopy.
- If pruning was already carried out in May, no further pruning is required; spray a 1% Bordeaux mixture on the same day as pruning.
- Note that herbicide effects may become visible in the following season due to shoots bending downwards.
Livestock
COW
- Considering the thunderstorm & moderate rain forecast, keep animals away from open water bodies, ponds, or rivers; protect
- stored animal feed, fodder, and dry stalks (kadba) from the rain by covering them with plastic sheets or tarpaulins, or by storing
- them in a safe, sheltered location.
- Increased humidity and dampness during the monsoon raise the risk of parasitic worms, mastitis, tick and flea infestations, and other infectious diseases in livestock; therefore, ensure timely vaccination, deworming, and pest control measures are carried out.
- Keep the animal shed clean and dry, and spray disinfectants; additionally, regularly inspect the animals' udders and hooves to
- protect them from injuries and diseases.
Goat
- During the monsoon, adequate measures should be taken to protect the goat shed from rain and wind coming from the west; additionally, overcrowding should be avoided by providing separate enclosures for sick goats, kids, pregnant does, and bucks.
- Sprinkling lime near the shed entrance and on the floor helps reduce the risk of introducing diseases from outside.
Sheep
- Provide immediate treatment if lambs or sheep suffer from diarrhea; weigh six-month-old lambs and shear their wool.
- Feed 400 grams of nutritious oil cake per sheep and ensure all sheep are vaccinated against Bluetongue disease.
Poultry Management
- Improper storage and handling of feed during the monsoon season increase the risk of fungal growth, poisoning, and other diseases.
- Therefore, feed should be stored in a clean, dry, and pest-free area for a limited period and inspected before use; additionally, toxin binders and coccidiostats should be used as required.
Tomato
Leaf Blight and Sap-sucking Pests
- After seed germination, spray two to three times at 10-day intervals, alternating between the following treatments (quantities per liter of water): Tebuconazole (29.5 EC) 1 ml plus Fipronil (5 SC) 1.5 ml; or Thiamethoxam (25 WG) 0.4 g; or Carbosulfan (25 EC) 1 ml.
Groundnut
Sowing
- Considering the satisfactory rainfall received in the district and the weather forecast, groundnut sowing should be carried out between June 15 and July 15 during the Kharif season, following seed treatment.
- Sowing should be done using the Pabhari (seed drill) or Dibbling method, maintaining a spacing of 30 × 10 cm.
- Seed treatment prior to sowing is essential to protect the crop against seed-borne and seedling-stage diseases.
Paddy
Nursery Management
- Pheromone traps@ 5 per hectare should be planted in the BBF of rice nursery.
- Fifteen days after sowing in the nursery, mix granular Chlorpyrifos 10% (10 kg) or Quinalphos 5% (15 kg) per hectare into the soil.
- Considering the rainfall forecast and water availability,
- At the time of transplanting clipping the tips of paddy seedlings and collect and destroy the egg and laraval populations of rice pests if any.
- Rice seedlings should be transplanted either by the traditional manual method or with a machine.
- Seedlings of early varieties should be transplanted 21–25 days after sowing and mid-late varieties 23–27 days after sowing.
- Place 3–4 seedlings per hill.
- Maintain a spacing of 15 × 15 cm for early varieties and 20 × 15 cm for medium-late and late varieties to ensure optimum crop growth and yield.
Finger Millet
Sowing
- In areas that have received rainfall suitable for sowing (by the second fortnight of July), the sowing of seeds on raised beds for the Kharif season nursery should be initiated.
- Considering the rainfall forecast, farmers should prepare Nagli (finger millet) & Proso millet nurseries in two batches with an interval of eight days.
Seed treatment
- Seed Treatment: To protect against fungal diseases, treat the seeds with 25 grams each of the bacterial inoculants Azospirillum brasilense and Aspergillus awamori per kilogram of seed.
- This seed treatment results in a 10% to 15% increase in yield.
Soybean
Sowing
- Considering the satisfactory rainfall received in the district and the weather forecast, the sowing of treated soybean seeds should be completed by the first week of July.
- Sowing after July 15th leads to a significant reduction in yield.
- Sowing should be done with a spacing of 45 × 5 cm, ensuring that the seeds are not planted deeper than 4 cm. In medium to heavy soils, adopting a soybean-pigeon pea (tur) intercropping system in a 3:1 or 4:2 ratio helps achieve higher yields, even with delayed sowing.
Maize
Sowing
- After that, the satisfactory rainfall in the district and consideration rainfall forecast, sowing of maize during the Kharif season Up to July 15 should be completed.
- During the Kharif season, maize should be sown in flat beds using the dibbling method at a depth of 4–5 cm.
- A seed rate of 15– 20 kg per hectare should be used, maintaining a spacing of 75 × 20 cm for late and medium-duration varieties, and 60 × 20 cm for early-maturing varieties.
- After sowing, during a break in the rainfall, the herbicide Atratop 50% should be sprayed on the soil at a rate of 2.5 kg/hectare.
NIGER
Pre sowing preparation
- Sowing of the Niger (Khurasani) crop should be carried out during the season (up to July 15th).
- Use a seed rate of 4–5 kg per hectare; mix the seeds with sand (of a similar grain size) in a 1:3 ratio before sowing.
- Maintain a spacing of 30 x 10 cm (sow by dropping seeds behind the plough, keeping 30 cm between rows, or use a seed drill/sowing implement).
Pearl Millet
Pre sowing preparation
- Considering the satisfactory rainfall received in the district and the weather forecast, pearl millet (bajra) sowing for the Kharif season should be completed by July 15th, adhering to recommended spacing and applying the prescribed dosage of chemical fertilizers along with bacterial culture seed treatment.
- Sowing during the Kharif season should be done at a depth of 2–3 cm using either the ridge-and-furrow method or the flat-bed method.
- A seed rate of 3–4 kg/hectare should be used, maintaining a spacing of 45×15 cm in dryland areas and 30×15 cm under irrigated conditions.
- It is essential to subject the seeds to appropriate seed treatment before s
LIVE STOCK
COW
- During the monsoon season, the cattle shed should be repaired and maintained to ensure cleanliness and proper ventilation.
- Dry, warm, and comfortable shelter must be provided for pregnant and lactating animals.
- Hooves should be inspected regularly, as damp ground increases the risk of slipping and hoof injuries.
- For green fodder, priority should be given to crops like Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl millet (Bajra), and Maize, as well as perennial fodder crops such as Yashwant and alfalfa (Methighas).
GOAT
- Control external parasites and deworm newly born kids. Vaccinate all goats against enterotoxaemia, PPR, and tetanus.
- Increase the feed ration for breeding does and prepare the breeding bucks.
- If planning for synchronized breeding, keep a 'teaser buck' in the shed to detect estrus.
Poultry Management
- Since there is a risk of drinking water becoming contaminated during the monsoon season, chickens should be provided with clean and disinfected water.
- Chlorine or bleaching powder should be mixed into the water in appropriate quantities, and the water tank must be kept clean, covered, and regularly maintained.
Source: State agriculture departments and ICAR agro-meteorological units, based on India Meteorological Department (IMD) medium-range weather forecasts · View source →. Updated: weekly or bi-weekly per advisory cycle · Report an error