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Contingency
plan needed for Kharif rice crop
Last year during the Rabi season,
shortage of irrigation water in Sindh was about 40 per cent.
Following the shortfall at Tarbela in the beginning of April
last, water table in the river Indus receded fast resulting in
closure of BS - Feeder , Desert Pat Feeder, Ghotki Feeder,
Kirthar, and the Rice Canal.
These canals remained closed for a month to carry-out rotation
programme in the barrage area. However, following the
improvement of water situation in the river Indus,
rice-growing areas in the upper Sindh began receiving water
from July. But this resulted in 80 to 85 per cent late-sowing
of the paddy crop. Because in Sindh, Irri-6 variety sown after
15th July is considered late, which is vulnerable to pests
attack.
This year, when water shortage during kharif 2001-2002 was
over 60 per cent, the department of agriculture prepared a
fool-proof plan, especially for the rice crop, keeping in view
the widespread damage to the crop by white-backed plant
hoppers. The Chief Executive' Secretariat at Islamabad decided
to increase water supply to Sindh till March 30 to facilitate
sowing of the kharif crops in districts of Tharparkar, Badin,
Hyderabad and Sanghar.
The water scenario makes it clear that this year again, sowing
of kharif crop, will be delayed by over two months, rendering
80 to 90 per cent vulnerable to insect pests, particularly
whitebacked plant hoppers.
The following strategy could be employed for handling the WEPH
problem:
1. Transplanting of rice variety Irri-6 could be avoided after
30th of July;
2. Late-sowing but early maturing rice varieties like DR-83
and Rusi, could be grown where irrigation water is not
available till the end of July;
3. Because of the drought-like situation and the late
transplantation for the last two seasons, rice stem-borer
problem has become insignificant. Accordingly, granular
pesticide application or foliar spray of pesticides could be
aimed at WBPH infestation.
4. Fields having more number of shady trees or having wind
-breaks encourage early insurgence of WBPH. Since Irri-6
variety is more susceptible to WBPH, it is imperative that
Irri variety is carefully watched from the beginning of the
September.
Firdausi: As per news paper reports, Australian Quarantine
Inspection Service, using sniffer dogs and X-ray machine have
cracked down on illegal import of Shamrocks plants" for St.
Patric's day, which was carried out through overseas letters.
Officials fear that some types of shamrock could threaten the
continent's ecosystem or bring in plant diseases. The
Australian Quarantine Act,1961 prohibits importation into
Australia of any animal or plant, or any such parts without
the prior permission of the authority concerned. The Pakistan
Plant Quarantine Rules 1976 also, serves the same purpose.
Last year (February, 2001), the Agriculture Department, Punjab
banned the cultivation of an smuggled Indian sugarcane variety
co-1148. The reason being its high susceptibility to a deadly
disease known as "Rey rog". The banned variety Co-1148 was
brought illegally, by an employee of a sugar-mill. On a
similar footing, a grower of Sultankot (District Shikarpur)
while visiting Thailand managed to bring some seeds of a rice
variety in mid 1990. Somehow this variety fell into the hands
of a progressive grower of Larkana who used it on commercial
basis. The popularity of this variety could be gauged from the
fact that it is now cultivated on large acreage, particularly
in the districts Larkana and Taluka Garhi Yasin of Shikarpur
district, which is actually like IRRI-6.
However, being free of chalkiness and transparent grain
quality, which gives it crystal like appearance upon milling /
polishing, this variety has edge over IRRI-6 being greater in
demand, particularly in Iran and Central Asian countries.
According to the said grower, he exported the first
consignment of this year to Iran as "Firdausi" rice variety of
Pakistan where as his other counterpart has been exporting it
as Thai rice variety because it is similar to the rice variety
imported from Thailand by the Government of Iran.
However, in a situation when IRRI-6 rice of Sindh is facing
stiff competition in the international market from countries
like China, Thailand, Vietnam etc. the very Thai rice variety
has proved a blessing for the province. This is the reason to
encourage its cultivation, rice millers are offering a premium
of Rs. 20 to Rs.30 per mound over IRRI-6 price for this rice
variety known as "Firdausi" in upper Sindh.
Suggestion: Since our rice breeders in Sindh have failed
hitherto to evolve a variety which could create market abroad
replacing IRRI-6, it is suggested that this very Thai rice
variety, though illegally introduced in the province defying
plant quarantine rules of the country, may be granted official
approval after necessary screening for its susceptibility to
insect pests and diseases. So far susceptibility of this
variety to white backed plant hopper (WBPH) is concerned it
was found equally susceptible as IRRI-6 rice variety during
Kharif 2001 season at a farm at Deh: Mangria in Taluka Garhi
Yasin of Shikarpur district.
courtesy Daily Dawn, 8
April, 2002
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