TN Agri & Farmers' Welfare Dept issues guidelines for safety of crops during rain

CHENNAI: In a significant move, the Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department on Wednesday issued the guidelines for protecting crops during continuous rain and floods.

"Necessary steps should be taken to drain the water immediately from the farmlands. Insist of foliar application spray of di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 2 per cent and Potash 1 per cent for increasing the growth and yield. Crop tips should be pinched to make way for lateral branches to grow. Spray 0.5 ppm Brassinolides to increase photosynthesis and to enhance the resistance ability of plants against stress conditions, such as diseases, drought, salt, and cold," said the state agriculture department in an awareness video.

Further, the department advised farmers to spray the cycocel 50 ppm to produce the most uniform growth.

In the case of ripe crops, the government told farmers to take immediate steps to harvest with a harvester, and if the rice grains are wet, the department directs the farmers to dry the grains and store them by mixing them with salt.

"Covering the crops with materials such as row covers, netting, plastic sheets, tarps, and so on helps prevent the rainwater from directly hitting the plants. Create natural windbreakers by using trees, bushes, shrubs, and other vegetation and plant them around the perimeter of the field or in between the rows of crops," it added.