Year 31, No: - 100/2024-25/Thur.                                                                                              Time: 2.30 PM                                                                                                    Date- 13th March, 2025

Weather during current week (From 07th to 13th March, 2025)

             Clear weather conditions were observed during the week. Maximum temperature ranged between 28.1 °C and 34.6 °C (weekly normal 27.5 °C). Minimum temperature ranged between 7.6 °C and 18.6 °C (weekly normal 12.1 °C). Relative humidity at 7.21 AM ranged between 72 and 90 percent and that at 2.21 PM ranged between 48 and 79 percent. The average bright sunshine hour during the week was 8.2 hours per day (weekly normal 7.6 hours). The average wind speed recorded was 4.2 km/h (normal 4.1 km/h). Mean evaporation rate during the period was 4.1 mm/day (weekly normal 4.4 mm/day). Wind during morning was from calm and evening was from different directions.

Weather based Agromet-Advisories (for the period ending on 18th March, 2025) 

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

• In view of increasing temperature forecast, farmers are advised to do needful management as per requires in all standing Rabi crops. 
• 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. 
• In present weather condition farmers are advised to procure quality seeds of green gram and black gram from certified source for sowing in the first week of March. Recommended Varieties: - Green gram – Pusa Visal, Pusa Vaisakhi, PDM-11, SML-32 and Black gram – Pant Urd 19, Pant Urd 30, Pant Urd 35, PDU-1. Seed treatment with crop specific Rhizobium culture as well as phosphorus solubilizing bacteria is advised to enhance crop growth and yield.
• Keeping weather in view, farmers are advised to start field’s preparation for sowing of early crop of lady finger- A-4, Parbani Kranti and Arka anamika cultivars. Ensure optimum soil moisture before sowing for proper germination. Recommended seed rates 10-15 kilogram per acre. 
• In present weather condition constant monitoring of the wheat crop against rust disease is advised. If symptoms of black, brown or yellow rust appears spraying the crops with Dithane M- 45 @ 2.5 grams per liter of water. Yellow rust occurs at temperature between 10-20°C and does not spread above 25°C. Brown rust occurs in temperature between 15-25°C with humid condition. Black rust occurs at temperature above 20°C with low humidity.
• Keeping weather in view, farmers are advised to monitor their vegetable crops for aphid infestation. To control the increasing pest population, spray Imidacloprid @ 0.25 to 0.5 ml per litre of water in vegetable crops after harvesting of mature fruits is advised. In vegetable crops a waiting period of one week should be followed after spraying. Constant monitoring of oil seed mustard crop is advised as damage by this insect is very high. 
• In present weather condition farmers are advised to sowing of french bean, cluster bean, summer radish. as present temperature is suitable for seed germination. Procurement of seeds should be done from a certified source. 
• In present weather conditions, transplanting of young seedlings of tomato, chilli and cole crop may be done in this week.
• Keeping weather in view, farmers are advised for constant monitoring of timely sown onion crop for purple blotch disease if symptom appears than spraying of Dithane-M -45 @ 3 grams per litre of water with sticky material (Tipol 1.0 gram /litre) are advised.
• Keeping weather in view, farmers are advised to install bird perches in tomato crop 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 tomato fruit borer. 
• To control shoot and fruit borer in brinjal crop, farmers are advised to collect and bury infested fruits and shoots. If pest population is high, spraying Spinosad 48 EC @ 1.0ml/4 litres of water is recommended.
• The current temperature is suitable for sowing fodder maize (Variety – African Tall) and lobia. Sowing of HM-4, hybrid cultivar of baby corn, can be done in this week.
• In mango and citrus orchards, irrigation should be avoided during flowering to ensure good fruit setting. Regular monitoring of mango mealy bugs and leaf hoppers is recommended.

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)