LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 6 : To save the oilseed crops from frost damage, irrigation may be applied, advised the experts of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). The experts, providing tips to the farmers for farm operations of sunflower in February, have emphasized that the sowing of sunflower should be completed and preference should be given the early maturing hybrids. Transplanting one month old seedlings of sunflower with hybrids, give better yield than direct seeded crop. Direct seeded crop matures late causing delay in the sowing of the succeeding crops while transplanted crop matures early, they told.
The farm experts asked the farmers to sow the crops in rows 60 cm part with plant to plant spacing of 30 cm. The sunflower performs better when planted on southern side of East-West ridges. They advised, “Place the seed about 6-8 cm below the ridge top. Apply irrigation to ridge sown crop 2-3 days after sowing. Water level in the ridges should remain well below the seed placement line. Treat the seed with Thiram @ 2g/kg seed before sowing. Two kg seed is sufficient for sowing one acre.”
The experts further told that 50 kg urea and 75 kg single superphosphate/acre should be applied at the time of sowing. Also drill 20 kg muriate of potash/acre on soils, testing low in potassium. In coarse textured soils, apply 50 kg urea/acre in two equal splits, half at sowing and remaining half, one-month after sowing, suggested they, adding that sunflower grown after potato receiving 20 tones farm yard manure (FYM) requires 25 kg urea/acre. Cutworm damage in sunflower can be prevented by applying 2 litres Dursban/Radar 20 EC after mixing with 10 kg soil at sowing. Crop sown on ridges suffers less from this pest, informed the experts.
To check Alternaria blight on raya pods, spray the crop with 250 g/acre of Blitox 50 WP or Indofil M-45, dissolved in 100 litres of water followed by second spray with Score @ 100 ml in 100 litres of water and third spray with Indofil M-45 or Biltox spray at 15 days interval, they advised.
