The Hindu Business Line : Over 50 pc sowing completed in wheat

, In what is probably a record for early sowing, more than 50 per cent of the normal area for wheat has been covered before the third week of November.

According to data compiled by the Union Agriculture Ministry, based on reports received from the States, farmers have planted wheat in 113.74 lakh hectares (lh) as on Friday. This is 17 per cent more than the 96.93 lh that was covered during the same period last year.

Maturing early

Given that the normal area under wheat (five-year average figure) is 260.50 lh, it means more than half of sowing has already been completed. Scientists usually recommend sowing of wheat by November 25, so that the crop is able to grow for its entire duration of 135-145 days. In recent years, rising temperatures by mid-March have tended to cut short this period, with the crop maturing 10 days or so in advance.

Scientists estimate that every extra day on the field after mid-March means an additional grain weight of 45 kg per hectare. If the crop matures a week or 10 days earlier, it translates into a yield loss of almost half-a-tonne per hectare. "We have been consistently asking farmers to sow before November 25. This time, it looks as though they have really opted for early sowing, which is a healthy sign," said Dr B. Mishra, who heads the Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR) at Karnal.

Low temperature

In Punjab, 25.04 lh area has already been covered, compared with last year's corresponding acreage of 22.84 lh. Cumulative sowing has similarly been higher in Madhya Pradesh (22.07 versus 19.19), Uttar Pradesh (21.58 versus 18.65), Haryana (18.75 versus 17.50), Rajasthan (9.94 versus 4.03), Gujarat (4.09 versus 1.54) and Maharashtra (4.59 versus 3.73).

"What is important now is that temperatures are low in December, when the plant starts developing tillers (stems). If we have proper winter, then more tillers are produced per plant. Otherwise, the signalling system in the plant will induce early ear-head emergence and flowering. So, there will be lesser horizontal and premature vertical growth," Dr Mishra told Business Line.

The higher wheat area has come mainly at the expense of rapeseed-mustard. In fact, the progressive area under rabi oilseeds, at 74.79 lh, has been lower than the 81.61 lh for this period last year and 77.62 lh the year before. As against this, sowing of rabi pulses, particularly chana (chana or Bengal gram), has been substantially higher.

Higher spot prices

Traders attribute the divergent acreage trend mainly to price movements. Spot wheat is currently ruling at around Rs 1,135 per quintal in Delhi, compared with Rs 870-875 at this time last year. Chana prices are similarly about Rs 1,000 per quintal higher. Mustard-seed rates, by contrast, have not risen much and are likely to fall below the minimum support price when the new crop arrives from February.

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