Maize growers asked to speed up sowing

The Met Office on Tuesday asked the maize growers to speed up sowing of the crop to utilise the existing soil moisture in the rain-fed areas of upper half of the country. It also advised the growers to finish up Kharif crops' sowing to get maximum soil dampness in the rain-dependent parts of the country.
It also said that farmers of cotton belt should remain aware of the adverse effects of stagnant rainwater in the fields, saying that mechanism for pumping out the accumulated water should be evolved on a priority basis and necessary requirement in that regard should be taken. Farmers of rain-fed areas, who obtain water through tube-wells and irrigated areas in upper parts, should schedule the irrigation according to the expected weather, it said.
Pest and viral attacks and more weeds growth are expected in sugarcane and other standing crops with more rains in the upcountry. "Farmers are therefore advised to take in time precautionary measures in this regard," it added. The office said that rainfall/ gusty winds after irrigation caused water logging in the standing crops like maize, sugarcane and cotton, it said, adding that farmers should be very careful to cope with the situation.
"Due to onset of monsoon rains, farmers are advised to take in time precautionary measures to protect their crops, livestock and other property from any expected heavy rain," it said. Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of Punjab with isolated light to moderate falls in D G Khan Division from September 3 to September 4, and light to moderate rainfall expected in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Lahore divisions from September 3 to September 5.
It forecast mainly hot and dry weather for most parts of Sindh. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it said, mainly dry weather was expected with scattered light to moderate rainfall in Peshawar, Kohat, Hazara and Malakand division from September 3 to September 5 and from September 7 to September 8. Weather in Balochistan has been forecast mainly hot and dry with light to moderate rain in Zhob, Sibbi and Kalat from September 3 to September 5. Rain-thunderstorm is expected in most parts of Gilgit-Baltistan till September 10. Mainly cloudy weather is expected in the most of parts of Kashmir with rain-thunderstorm in Muzaffarabad, Kotli and Rawalakot from September 3 to September 7.
Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal in the most of the agricultural plains of the country till September 10. Normal wind pattern may prevail in the most of agricultural plains while during thunderstorm it may gust up to 30-50 knots an hour.