SKLTGHU issues crop contingency plan to help Telangana farmers tackle El Niño

The Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University has released a crop contingency plan to help farmers manage the effects of El Niño. The advisory recommends drought-resilient varieties, efficient water-management practices and preventive measures against pest and disease outbreaks.

Hyderabad: From fruit, vegetables to flowers’ growers, the Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University (SKLTGHU) has rolled out a comprehensive crop contingency plan for horticulture farmers to mitigate the El Niño impact in Telangana.

This year, the State may not experience a uniform rainfall pattern in the monsoon season in view of the El Niño, a climate phenomenon characterised by abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.

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This phenomenon often affects the Indian monsoon, leading to delayed onset of monsoon, deficit rainfall, long dry spells, increased temperatures and heat waves, moisture stress in crops and reduced water availability in reservoirs and borewells. It might affect horticultural crops such as mango, citrus, sweet orange, guava, vegetables, turmeric, chilli, oil palm, flowers and plantation crops.

Given the situation, the varsity issued an advisory for cultivation for crops cultivation and also released suitable crop varieties that could be cultivated during this season affected due to El Niño. The vegetable growers have been suggested to go for cultivation of short-duration varieties and staggered nursery raising to reduce the impact of dry spells.

For example, Kesar and Dashehari varieties have been recommended for mango cultivation. Similarly, Satgudi, Balanagar and Kalipathi varieties are suggested for sweet Orange, Seethaphal and Sapota growers.

As for vegetables, Arka Vikas, Arka Rakshak and Arka Samart, among other varieties, have been advised for tomato cultivation. Shyamala, Bhagyamati, and Puskranti are suggested for brinjal growers.

Flower growers like marigold, chrysanthemum, jasmine, rose and tuberose are told to alter planting schedules in the case of delayed monsoon. Adopting a mulching and micro-irrigation system during drought conditions has been advised. To protect crops from heat stress, they are asked to use shade nets.

For oil palm cultivation, the university advised the famers for efficient water management practices so as to cope with moisture stress and rising temperatures.

The university recommended that farmers commence sowing activity after receiving enough rainfall. It asked them to go for raised-bed cultivation, moisture conservation practices and drought-tolerant crop varieties to help crops withstand dry conditions.

According to the university, the changing weather patterns have potential to alter pest and disease incidence, and drought conditions could increase infestations of sucking pests such as thrips, mites and whiteflies. Prolonged wet spells may lead to outbreaks of fungal diseases, root rot and fruit decay, it added.