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Unusual rain & winds may hurt wheat crop

With unusual widespread rains and high velocity winds lashing the northern region, about 10-20 per cent of timely sown wheat crop, which has got flattened, could face yield loss, say experts.

Punjab and Haryana, which are major foodgrain growing states, have about 35 lakh hectares and 25 lakh hectares of area, respectively, under wheat in the current rabi season. Heavy rains on Monday continued to lash most parts of Punjab and Haryana. Punjab has received an average rainfall of 34 mm with maximum rainfall witnessed in Ropar (73 mm), Patiala (57 mm) Mohali (65 mm), NawanShahar (66mm) and Tarn Taran (43 mm).

In Haryana, a few blocks such as Nuh in Mewat, Ganaur in Sonepat, received rainfall of 71 and 80 mm respectively. "There has been lodging in timely sown wheat crop because of ongoing rains and strong winds. About 10-20 per cent of the crop which has got flattened may get damaged," Karnal-based Indian Institute of Wheat & Barley Research, Director, Indu Sharma said.

Lodging refers to the term used to describe crop falling flat on the ground due to heavy rain and winds which causes yield loss in crop. Wheat crop at several places, including Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Patiala, Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr in Punjab and a few districts Sirsa, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Kurukshetra in Haryana has got flattened because of rains and high velocity winds, officials of Punjab and Haryana agriculture departments said here on Monday.
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