Year 31, No: - 102/2024-25/Fri.                                                                                              Time: 2.30 PM                                                                                                      Date- 21st March, 2025

Weather during current week (From 15th to 21st March, 2025)

             Clear weather conditions were observed during the week. Maximum temperature ranged between 29.0 °C and 35.2 °C (weekly normal 28.8 °C). Minimum temperature ranged between 13.2 °C and 16.9 °C (weekly normal 13.4 °C). Relative humidity at 7.21 AM ranged between 70 and 85 percent and that at 2.21 PM ranged between 54 and 65 percent. The average bright sunshine hour during the week was 9.0 hours per day (weekly normal 7.2 hours). The average wind speed recorded was 5.1 km/h (normal 4.1 km/h). Mean evaporation rate during the period was 4.6 mm/day (weekly normal 4.6 mm/day). Wind during morning was calm and evening it was from different directions.

Weather based Agromet-Advisories (for the period ending on 26th March, 2025) 

Advisory based on advices received from the subject matter specialists of agromet-advisory committee: 

• Keeping increasing temperature in view, farmers are advised for frequent light irrigation in standing crops and vegetables as per requirement. Irrigation should be done in morning or evening time, when wind speed is low.
• To reduces the impact of increase temperature on wheat crop, farmers are advised to do spray of 2 % potassium nitrate or 0.2 % muriate of potash (MOP) solution on the crop. 
• To protect tomato, brinjal and chilli from increase in temperature, farmers are advised to do spray of 2 % solution of Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), so that development of fruit cannot be stop.
• Farmers are advised for harvesting of the matured mustard as earliest. 75-80 percent of the pods (Siliqua) turn parchment brown in colour is the right time for harvest. Farmers are advised not to allow the crop to over mature, which cause loss of grains due to scattering. Immediate threshing after drying is advised. Attack of painted bug will be more if crop is kept in the field for long time after harvest.
• Farmers are advised to start sowing of green gram. Variety: - Pusa Visal, Pusa Ratna, Pusa 5931, Pusa Baisakhi, PDM-11, SML-32, SML-668, Samrat. Seed treatment with crop specific Rhizobium culture as well as phosphorus solubilizing bacteria is also advised. Farmers are advised to ensure proper moisture before sowing for optimum germination.
• Installation of bird perches in tomato, pea, brinjal and gram crops is advised to control fruit borer insect. Hand picking of damaged fruit and burying are advised. Installation of pheromone trap @ 2-3 traps per acre of crop field is advised for monitoring the fruit borer. If pest population is high, spraying of Bt. 1.0 gram/litre of water is advised, when sky remain clear. After 15 days, if pest population is more than ETL, farmers are advised to spray Spinosad 48 EC @ 1 ml. /4 litres of water, when sky remain clear.
• Monitoring of vegetables crops against attack of aphid is advised. In present temperature conditions, aphid population will gradually diminish. Control measures should be initiated if pest population is high. Spraying of Imidacloprid @ 0.25 ml per litre of water in vegetable crops after harvesting of mature fruits should be done, when sky remain clear. In vegetable crops a waiting period of one week should be followed after spraying. 
• Present temperature is suitable for incidences of powdery mildew disease in cucurbitaceous crops and late pea. If symptoms found than, spraying of Carbendazim @ 1.0 gram per litre is advised, when sky remain clear. In cucurbitaceous crop which are 20-25 days old, application of 10-15 gram urea/plant is advised. 
• Present temperature is suitable for germination of french bean (Pusa parvati, Contender), vegetable lobia (Pusa komal, Pusa sukomal), amaranthus (Pusa kiran, Pusa lal chaulai), lady’s finger (A-4, Parbani Kranti and Arka Anamika), bottle gourd (Pusa naveen, Pusa sandesh), cucumber (Pusa uday), ridge gourd, sponge gourd (Pusa sneha) and summer radish (Pusa chetki). Procurement of seeds should be done from a certified source. Farmers are advised to ensure proper moisture before sowing for optimum germination.
• In present weather condition constant monitoring of timely sown seed onion crop against attack of thrips should be done. Monitoring of seed onion crop against infection of purple blotch should also be done. If population is more, than spraying of Dithane M -45 @ 2 grams per litre of water with sticky material (Tipol 1.0 gram /litre) are advised as per requirement, when sky remain clear. 
• Temperature is suitable for sowing of fodder maize (Variety – African Tall) and lobia. Sowing of HM-4, hybrid cultivar of baby corn may also be done in this week. 
• In mango and citrus, irrigation should be avoided during flowering for good fruit setting. Constant monitoring of mango mealy bug and leaf hopper are advised.

Members of Agro advisory Committee

Dr. Ananta Vashisth (Nodal Officer, Agricultural Physics)

Dr. Subash Nataraja (Head, Division of Agricultural Physics)

Dr. P. Krishnan (Professor, Division of Agricultural Physics) 

Dr. Deb Kumar Das (Principal Scientist, Agricultural Physics)

Dr. B. S. Tomar (Head, Division of Vegetable Science)

Dr. Sachin Suresh Suroshe (Project coordinator, AICRP on Honeybee)

Dr. Dinesh Kumar (Principal Scientist, Agronomy)

Dr. P. Sinha (Principal Scientist, Plant Pathology)

Dr. A.K. Singh (Principal Scientist and Incharge, CATAT)