In the wake of the recent floods affecting many parts of the state, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) shared a detailed advisory to reduce the damage in various crops after the water recedes. Dr Buta Singh Dhillon, a paddy expert, said that crops don’t have submergence tolerance, and as the time under water increases, the crop starts getting damaged.

“Usual varieties of paddy or other crops don’t have submergence tolerance. If they stay in or under stagnant water for over 4-5 days, the damage starts and the crop may rot as well,” he said.

For paddy, sown over 32.49 lakh hectares in Punjab, and basmati varieties sown over 6.81 lakh hectares, the advisory asks farmers to start draining standing water with pumps so that the roots of the crop can get fresh air at the earliest.

“If the farmers notice yellowing of the lower leaves of the crop, which is a symptom of nitrogen deficiency, the farmers are advised to spray 3% urea. To protect the top of the crop from sterility in the boot stage, the farmers can use 1.5% Potassium Nitrate. To protect the crop from the False Smut fungal disease, the farmers can spray 500 g of Kocide fungicide while the crop is in boot stage, followed by 400 ml spray of Galileo way fungicide 10-15 days later,” PAU said.