Heavy Rains in Adilabad Accelerate Cotton and Soybean Sowing
Adilabad: Good rainfall over the past two days has brought relief to farmers in the erstwhile Adilabad district. Farmers, who had been waiting for rain for a long time, have now ramped up the sowing of cotton and soybean. They believe that the adequate moisture will improve seed germination and boost the initial growth of the crops.
Many farmers had previously postponed sowing due to a lack of rainfall. However, with the recent rains providing sufficient soil moisture, sowing operations for cotton and soybean have gained momentum. Several farmers who sowed crops in the first week of June had suffered losses due to poor germination; these farmers are now re-sowing cotton, while others have turned to alternative crops like red gram (tur) and soybean to mitigate risk.
Chaudhary Vinod, a farmer from Ramai village in Sathnala Mandal, stated that regular rainfall over the next few days is crucial for a good harvest. He noted that if the rains stop again, soil moisture levels would deplete rapidly, increasing the risk of the new sprouts withering.
Agricultural scientists have advised farmers regarding fields where cotton was sown earlier but germination was delayed due to dry soil. Since these seeds could still germinate once adequate moisture is available, farmers are urged not to hastily re-plough their fields but to assess the crop's condition before making a decision.
The recent rains have also revived the flow of water in ponds, streams, and small rivers. This has raised hopes for an improvement in groundwater levels, which will help farmers provide necessary irrigation to their cotton and soybean crops using sprinkler and drip irrigation systems in the future.
Although farmers remain watchful of the monsoon's further progress, the recent rainfall has significantly alleviated concerns caused by the delayed onset of the season. Farmers are hopeful that if good rainfall continues in the coming days, crop production is likely to be better this Kharif season.
