August-September, 2011

Southwest monsoon has been active over south interior Karnataka. Rainfall occurred at most places over Coastal Karnataka and at a few places over coastal Andhra and Rayalseema. Isolated rainfall occurred over Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep. Telangana districts received deficit rainfall to the extent of 24-36%. 

Castor & Sunflower

•  Due to non receipt of rainfall where sowing has not been taken up during June and July, sowing of castor can be done in Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Orissa to take advantage of stored moisture and in rainfed alfisols in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh till third week of August
• Farmers can take the advantage of recent rains in Rayalseema and other parts of Andhra Pradesh; Karnataka, and Maharashtra sunflower plantings could be taken up in light soils with the receipt of rains. It is better to plant sunflower late in August and September to avoid necrosis disease.
• In sunflower adopt 60 x 30 cm spacing and thin to maintain one seedling per hill at 15 days after germination
• Take up weeding and interculture in early sown crops and gap filling in late sown crops if the field conditions are normal
• Castor can be sown as sole crop.  In medium/heavy soils intercrop castor with pigeonpea (1:1), in medium / heavy soils, intercrop castor with cluster bean (1: 2) or groundnut; In Saurashtra (Gujarat), castor + groundnut (1:3) or castor + sesame (1:2) intercropping can be followed. In, Rajasthan, castor + moth bean/mung bean (1:2) be followed.
• Grow intercrop of pigeonpea + sunflower (2:1)/soybean + sunflower (2:1) in vertisols and pigeonpea + sunflower (1:1) or groundnut + sunflower (5:1) in alfisols.
• Adopt pre-sowing treatment of seed with seed treating chemicals viz., thiram/carbendazim @ 3 g/kg to prevent seed borne diseases.
• Resort to weeding and intercultivation in early sown castor/sunflower