Rains to hit paddy yield in north India

In Central India, the standing soybean and pulses crops have also been hit but the loss isn’t massive as the showers were followed by relatively bright sunshine that helped absorb soil moisture

The sudden increase in rainfall intensity over northern and Central parts of the country in the last few days could impact final yield of paddy in the fields where ‘lodging’ has taken place, as the rains that came at the fag end of the southwest monsoon season were accompanied by strong winds, farm scientists and experts said.

However, the exact quantum of damage and extent of loss will be ascertained only after a proper assessment is made.

‘Lodging’ is bending over of crops - mainly cereals - near the ground level that makes them difficult to harvest and leads to lower yields.

It mainly occurs when rains are accompanied by heavy winds in excess of 25 kmph.

In Central India, the standing soybean and pulses crops have also been hit but the loss isn’t massive as the showers were followed by relatively bright sunshine that helped absorb soil moisture.

“In paddy growing areas of Haryana, Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh, there have been complaints of ‘lodging’ in some fields and yields might go down in them especially if the crop is in harvesting stage, while in those fields where the crop hasn’t yet matured, there might not be any big damage because the stems are flexible enough to resurrect after flattening,” K K Singh, head of agromet division of India Meteorological Department (IMD) told Business Standard.

“In Western UP districts of Baghpat, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar and areas surrounding the Yamuna river in Haryana, paddy fields have been impacted due to the sudden rains and heavy winds.

"However, the exact extent of damage is yet to be ascertained,” a senior scientist from a Krishi Vikas Kendra said.

As regards to soybean and pulses, Sunil Dutt Billore, director of Indore-based Indian Institute of Soybean Research (IISR), said that so far they haven’t received information of any big or large-scale damage to standing soybean crop from anywhere in Madhya Pradesh because after few days of good rains, the sky opened up to bright sunshine which should dry up the fields.

The retreating southwest monsoon caused heavy rains in parts of Northern, Central and Western India over the weekend under the influence of a low pressure area and cyclonic movements.

Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters