Recommended field operations to be carried out in February 2012– (Pune district)

Provide the sugarcane crop with fourth dose of fertilizer @ 140 kg nitrogen,(300 kg urea), 85 kg phosphorus ( 530 kg S.S.P.) and 85 kg potash per hectare ( 140 kg muriate of potash) and then complete the earthing up operation.

Suru sugarcane-

Provide 6 to 8 week old suru sugarcane crop with 100 kg N per hectare (215 kg urea), second dose with neem cake in the ratio of 6:1 ( 6 kg urea and 1 kg neem cake). Provide the irrigations with an interval of 8 -10 days.

Ratoon Sugarcane-

Provide 2 months old ratoon sugarcane with 75 kg N per hectare (165 kg urea) as a second dose of nitrogen. In case of water scarcity, provide irrigation with alternate row irrigation method and makes use of mulches. Control of stem borer- Immediately after the incidence of stem borer spray the sugarcane crop with endosulphan 35% @ 15 ml mixed in 10 liters of water with an interval of 15 days carry out of 3 sprayings or make use of trichocards @ 3-4 trichocards per hectare at 40- 45 days after planting with an interval of 10 days for 6 times. 

Wheat- -        

Carry out harvesting of timely sown wheat in the evening hours.-         Provide the irrigation to late sown wheat at the time of grain filling stage.Carry out timely harvesting of rabi crops like gram, sunflower, safflower, mustard, niger. Harvested crops should be threshed, exposed to sunlight and then properly stored.

Summer groundnut-

Keep crop weed free up to the age of 40-45 days by doing hoeing.Provide the crop with irrigations with an interval of 10-12 days considering soil condition. Care is taken that summer groundnut should not be water stressed from peg formation stage to the pod filling stage.To control the leaf roller spray the crop with 5% neem extract or cypermethrin 20 EC 4 ml or monocrotophos 36% 15ml or quinolphos 25 EC 20ml mixed in 10 liters of water alternatively carry out two sprayings with an interval of 15 days. Or carry out dusting of quinolphos 1.5 % powder or phoselon 4% powder or malathion 5% powder @ 20 kg per hectare.Leaf eating caterpillar- To control this pest spray the crop with 5% neem extract or SLNPV 250 EL or endosulphan 700 ml mixed in 500 liters of water. 

Summer sunflower-

Provide the crop with second irrigation at 30-35 days after sowing at the time of flowering. Carry out intercultivation and keep field clean. Hairy caterpillar- To control this pest spray 250 to 500 LE SLNPV or endosulphan 1000 ml mixed in 500 liters of water in the evening hours. 

Summer green gram-  
Choose vaibhav, pusa vaishakhi, S-8, K.851, Phule M-2, BM-4.- Complete sowing in the first fortnight of March.- Treat the seeds with 2.5 gm carbendezim or captan before sowing.- After chemical treatment carry out seed treatment of rhizobium and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria.- Use 15 – 20 kg of seed per hectare. For that use 30 cm spaced double bowl seed drill. Carry out sowing on wapsa by wetting the soil.- At the time of sowing provide 25 kg N and 50 kg P per hectare with the help of double bowled seed drill.

Mustard-

To control powdery mildew on mustard dust the crop with 300 mesh sulphur powder @ 20 kg per hectare or wettable sulphur 80% 250 gm or carbendezim 100 gm mixed in 100 liters of water.Carry out harvesting of mustard according to the maturity.

Irrigated cotton- -        

To cultivate cotton keep field ready by carrying out 22-25 cm deep ploughing, 2-3 harrowings and mixing 20 -25 bullock carts compost.-Choose LRH-5166 or JLH-168 varieties for irrigated cotton. Likewise for hybrid cultivars choose phule-492, NHH- 44, phule-388, Sankar-6 or Sankar-10.

Complete the sowing of irrigated cotton between 10 to 25^th march.     To achieve good germination soak the seed for 6 hours. Likewise dip in 1% succinic acid for 6 hours. This helps for good and early germination.

- Use 8-10 kg seed of improved varieties and for hybrid varieties 2.5-3 kg.

- Spacing- heavy soil- 90 x 90-Improved varieties- 120 x 90-   Treat the seed with azotobacter @ 250 gm for 10 kg of seed before sowing.

- Put 25 – 30 cart loads of farm yard manure or compost in the soil before sowing.

-Provide the irrigated cotton with 100 kg N, 50 kg P and 50 kg K per hectare. Out of that at the time of sowing apply 20 kg N ( 45 kg urea), total P( 315 kg SSP) and total K ( 85 kg Muriate of potash).  

Integrated pest management in cotton-   

In a village same variety should be sown.  Seed should be treated with 10 gm emidachloprid per kg seed. Sowing of all the villagers should be completed at the same time.Provide the crop with half N and full dose of phosphorus and potash before sowing.Take mixed crop of maize and cowpea at the border of field. To get that one line of maize around the field should be planted. One seed of cowpea should be sown in between the two plants of maize.Sow one line of jawar or sesame between 9-10 lines of cotton to assemble birds.After attaining 60-65 days to the crop put 5 pheromone traps in the field of one hectare. If the adults of green caterpillar are trapped in this trap then release parasite Trichogramma chilones @ 1.5 lac per hectare with an interval of 15 days for 2 times.  Carry out spraying of neem extract 5% two to three times with an interval of 15 days for the control of spotted bollworm and American bollworm. To control american bollworm take a spray of 500 LE NHPV per hectare area. If the incidence of bollworm complex is exceeding 10% (10% of flowers, boll, bracts) then carry out spraying of any one of the following insecticide - 0.05% endosulphan or 0.2% carbaryl or 0.05% quinolphos. 

Summer bajara-

Keep your plot weed free by giving 1-2 weeding up to the crop age of 30 days from the date of sowing.Provide the crop with second dose of nitrogen @ 45 kg per hectare (100 kg urea) at 25-30 days after sowing and then immediately irrigate the field.
Provide regular irrigation with an interval of 10-12 days considering the soil condition. 

Fruit crops-

Protect newly planted fruit crops from sunlight by arranging shade. Remove out the excess growth beneath the grafted spot of newly planted fruit trees.

Vegetables-  

If the sowing of cucurbitaceous crop is over then provide the crops with second dose of nitrogen @ 50 kg per hectare by placement method and provide irrigation immediately.If the sowing of summer vegetables like brinjal, tomoto, okra has been completed then provide the crops with second dose of nitrogen @ 50 kg per hectare by placement method and provide irrigation immediately.Complete the harvesting of onion crop if the 75% neck has drooped down.  Three to four days after harvesting of onion carry out drying of onion bulbs along with leaves. Harvested onion bulbs should be arranged in such a way that the onion which is laid in first line will cover with the leaves of second line.
In this time of span the leaves will dry completely and total juice enters in onion. Outer layer of onion dries completely, it becomes thin, and wounds on onion heal completely. Onion starts leaving attached soil. Three to four days after drying of onion bulbs cut totally dried leaves by keeping 3-4 cm distance from onion bulb.Carry out grading of onion for storage.Make heap of graded onion under the tree shade and keep it there for 10-15 days.Then it is stored in storage house. Storage house should be made sterilized by spraying insecticide( malathion and bavistin). To control the blight on brinjal, tomato, chilli spray the crop with dithane-M-45 @ 1250 gm mixed in 1000 liters of water.
In cucumber crop to increase the percentage of female flowers spray ethryl 250 PPM. Spraying should be done at 2 leaf and 4 leaf stage. 

Animal husbandry and dairying-

Forage crops- To get the green fodder in summer for lactating animals take following forage crops considering the water availability. 

Maize- Maize should be sown in between March to April. Spacing of 30 should be maintained in between two rows. Choose ganga safed-2, African tall, manjari composite varieties for fodder. Use 75 kg of seed per hectare area. Treat the seed with azotobacter before sowing.At the sowing provide the crop with 100 kg N, 50 kg P and 50 kg of K per hectare.Yield per hectare- 50-60 tonns of green fodder.

 Jowar- Fodder jawar should be sown in between March to April. Spacing of 30 cm between rows should be maintained. For fodder jawar choose varieties like ruchira, phule amruta, maldandi, nilwa, M.P. chari, S.S.G.59-3. Use seed rate 40 kg per hectare for fodder jawar.Seed should be treated with azotobacter before sowing.Fertilizers- A dose of 80 kg P and 40 kg k should be given at the time sowing. Yield per hectare- 40 – 50 tonns of green fodder.

Bajara- Fodder bajara should be sown in between March to April. Spacing of 30 cm should be maintained between rows. Choose variety giant of fodder bajara. Use 10 kg of seed per hectare. Treat the seeds with azotobacter before sowing.Provide a dose of 60 kg N, 30 kg P per hectare at the time of sowing.Yield per hectare- 45-50 tonns of green fodder. 

Cowpea- Fodder cowpea should be sown in between February to April. Spacing of 30 should be maintained between two rows. Choose varieties shweta, EC-4216, UPC-5286 for sowing. Use 40 kg of seed per hectare. Treat the seeds with rhizobium before sowing. A dose of 20 kg N, 60 kg p should be provided. Yield per hectare- 30 -35 tonn green fodder.