Rains good for wheat; strong winds can cause damage: Experts

The light to moderate rains, which lashed the northern region today, will be beneficial for wheat crop as it will help in raising overall crop yield, Agriculture experts said today.
However, they said there could be an adverse impact on the winter crop if the fields are flattened because of strong winds.
Light to moderate rains today lashed various parts of Haryana and Punjab along with high velocity winds dropping the minimum temperatures today in the region.
Several places in Haryana and parts of Punjab were lashed by rains accompanied with high velocity surface winds, the MeT department said.
"Rains at this stage is beneficial for wheat crop as it will prolong cold weather conditions which is required for achieving good crop yield," state-owned Punjab State Farmers Commission, Economist, P S Rangi said today.

He said increase in maximum temperatures during the last several days were a cause of worry for growers as it could adversely impact the crop yield.

Rangi said rains accompanying high velocity wind could flatten crop at certain areas which is not desirable.
Farm experts also expressed worry that if crop has got flattened and it's ear heads are broken, then there is a chance of crop loss.
Notably, wheat crop in various parts of Punjab had got "flattened" because of rains accompanied by hailstorm lashed last month.
According to a report prepared by Punjab Agriculture department for the February 16-19, wheat crops in districts including Fatehgarh Sahib, Pathankot, Kapurthala, Nawan Shahar and Tarn Taran had got "flattened" because of hailstorm and strong winds.

Punjab, which is known as food bowl of the country, has brought estimated 35 lakh hectares of area under wheat crop this season. Punjab government is expecting bumber harvest this rabi marketing season.
Haryana has about 25 lakh hectares of area under wheat crop.
Meanwhile, potato growers are also worried over today's widespread rain in the northern region.
"The rains at this stage will cause massive loss to potato crop," a Jalandhar-based potato grower J S Sangha said.
Punjab is one of the largest producers of seed potato crop in the country.