SKUAST-K issues advisory for winter crops, suggests precautionary measures for farmers

Srinagar, Jan 04:Directorate of Extension SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar has issued advisory for the farmers across Kashmir for January regarding different crops that grow in winter months and regarding orchard management.
For rabi crops, the advisory has suggested farmers to ensure proper drainage by cleaning the channels and fields to avoid water stagnation during winter.
Regarding apple, it has advised farmers remove twigs infested during pruning and dispose them away from the orchards and apply Chaubatia paste on cut areas.
“Maintain sanitation in infested orchards, all dropped/infested fruits of apple should be collected and buried in soil. Burlapping practice should be followed and overwintering stages should be destroyed along with the burlap,” it said.
For rodent management of horticulture, it said if weather is dry, farmers should remove dropped rotten fruits, debris and grasses from orchards to discourage rodents from availability of food and shelter.
“Reduce the size of bunds or boundaries around the orchards up to 30 cm to force the rodents to leave the burrows,” it said.
Regarding apiculture the SKUAT-K advised farmers to give winter package to colonies if not given in November without disturbing bee cluster on sunny day.
“Narrow the entrance of hive. Provide feeding as sugar candies on top bars near the cluster, if short of store food. Remove snow from top of hives. Keep colonies on stand to avoid moisture by rain, snow. Don’t disturb cluster of bees in hive,” it said.
Regarding plant pathology, it advised orchardists to provide proper drainage in orchards to drain off surface water besides collect and destroy fallen leaves. “Bury mummified and diseased fruits left in and around orchards in compost pits to avoid over-wintering of pathogens,” it said.
Regarding vegetables like turnip, radish, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower and knol-khol, the advisory advised farmers to provide proper drainage in orchards to drain off surface water to avoid waterlogging.
For floriculture and landscape architecture, it advised to remove snow from hedges/edges to prevent damage in case of shrubs/edges.
For poly house management, it advised that vents of poly house need to be closed to ensure proper temperature while proper sanitation to be maintained in poly houses.
For vegetables sciences, it advised that early arrangements of seed of recommended varieties must be made from reliable sources. “For early nursery raising under protected structures cladding material, timber, poly packs must be arranged in time,” it said.
Regarding care of seed crop it said that in case of high frost conditions, mulching of the knobs of knolkhol, heads of cabbage/root crops may be carried out.
“Maintain optimum moisture during high frost conditions, as drying may lead to splitting of knobs and heads which makes crop prone to various infections,” it said.
For fruit science the advisory suggested to remove diseased, dried or narrow angled branches along with water sprouts and prefer thinning out over lapping branches. It added that optimise pruning should be done to reduce the canopy load of the trees.
“In nursery staking of budded or grafted nursery plants should be done to avoid snow damage while drainage in the nursery should be maintained,” it said.
“Thatching of young trees should be done to prevent them from freezing injury. In case of heavy snowfall, go for shaking of fruit trees/limbs and remove snow from crotches of plants. Maintain drainage in orchards also,” it said.
In case of heavy snowfall farmers should go for dibbling nuts in rows in the already proposed fields by a bamboo stick of 5 cm girth.
“Cut down and remove the stumps of old or worn out fruit trees that are not worth renovating. Maintain orchard sanitation. Remove fallen leaves and bury them if not done earlier. Place mulches over strawberry plants that were planted last summer, or bring potted ones into the greenhouse or conservatory,” it said.
Regarding food technology, the advisory suggested to use surplus vegetables that are produced in bulk, particularly for those vegetable belts where glut in the market may generate post-harvest losses due to rotting and decay for the preparation of mixed vegetable pickle for fetching better returns.
For livestock management, it suggested farmers not to graze animals outside during earlier hours due to frost.
“Sanitation and cleanness in and around livestock sheds should be maintained. Multicomponent Clostridial Vaccination (MCC) to pregnant ewes before one month of expected date of lambing should be ensured for protection against lamb dysentery, struck, pulpy kidney disease, black disease and braxy,” it said.
It also added that while ensuring heating arrangement for the newborn animals, ventilation should not be compromised.
Regarding fisheries the advisory said, “When the water temperature in winter is below 10°C, stop feeding the fish daily or reduce feeding rate by 50-75%. At low temperatures (10 °C or less) by administering feed once or twice a week can be sufficient.”