Year 32, No: - 102/2025-26/Fri.                                                                                                                                                        Time: 2.30 PM                                                                                                                            Date- 20th March, 2026

Weather during current week (From 14th March to 20th March, 2026)

            Clear weather conditions were observed during the week. Except a rainfall of 9.9 mm on 19th March and 6.5 mm on 20th March, was recorded at the institute observatory. Maximum temperature ranged between 24.9°C and 33.0°C (weekly normal 28.8°C). Minimum temperature ranged between 14.4°C and 17.0°C (weekly normal 13.4°C). Relative humidity at 7.21 AM ranged between 70 and 98 percent and that at 2.21 PM ranged between 29 and 67 percent. The average bright sunshine hour during the week was 5.8 hours per day (weekly normal 7.2 hours). The average wind speed recorded was 5.5 km/h (normal 4.1 km/h). Mean evaporation rate during the period was 4.4 mm/day (weekly normal 4.6 mm/day). Wind during morning and evening was from different directions.

Weather based Agromet-Advisories (for the period ending on 25th March, 2026)

 Advisory based on advices received from the subject matter specialists of agromet-advisory committee:

• Keeping in view of light rainfall in the past and coming days all are farmers advised not to do any type of spray and do proper management in standing crops and vegetables. 
• Farmers should tie and properly cover harvested crops, otherwise, strong winds may blow the crops from one field to another, and rainfall may damage the crops.
• Farmers are advised for harvesting of the matured mustard as earliest. 75-80 percent of the pods (Siliqua) turn parchment brown in colour is the right time for harvest. Farmers are advised not to allow the crop to over mature, which cause loss of grains due to scattering. Immediate threshing after drying is advised. Attack of painted bug will be more if crop is kept in the field for long time after harvest.
  • Farmers are advised to obtain certified seed for sowing of green gram and black gram in the first week of March. The recommended varieties are: Green gram: Pusa Vishal, Pusa Vaisakhi, PDM-11, and SML-32; Black gram: Pant Urd 19, Pant Urd 30, Pant Urd 35, and PDU-1. Prior to sowing, seeds should be treated with crop-specific Rhizobium culture along with phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria to improve crop performance.
• Present temperature is suitable for germination of french bean (Pusa parvati, Contender), vegetable lobia (Pusa komal, Pusa sukomal), amaranthus (Pusa kiran, Pusa lal chaulai), lady’s finger (A-4, Parbani Kranti and Arka Anamika), bottle gourd (Pusa naveen, Pusa sandesh), cucumber (Pusa uday), ridge gourd, sponge gourd (Pusa sneha) and summer radish (Pusa chetki). Procurement of seeds should be done from a certified source. Farmers are advised to ensure proper moisture before sowing for optimum germination.
  • In present weather conditions, transplanting of young seedlings of tomato, chilli, and cole crops can be undertaken during this week.
  • Considering the prevailing weather conditions, farmers are advised to regularly monitor timely sown onion crops for thrips infestation and purple blotch disease. If infestation is observed, spray Imidacloprid @ 0.5 ml per 3 litres of water along with a sticky material (Tipol @ 1.0 g per litre of water).
  • In view of the prevailing weather conditions, installation of bird perches in tomato crop is advised to control fruit borer insect. Farmers are also advised to handpick and destroy damaged fruits by burying them. Installation of pheromone traps @ 4–5 traps per acre for monitoring of tomato fruit borer incidence.
  • To control shoot and fruit borer in brinjal crop, regular collection and destruction of infested shoots and fruits by burying them is advised. If pest population is high, spray Spinosad 48 EC @ 1.0 ml. /4 litres of water.
• In mango and citrus orchards, irrigation should be avoided during flowering to ensure good fruit setting. Regular monitoring of mango mealy bugs and leaf hoppers is recommended.

Members of Agro advisory Committee                         

Dr. Ananta Vashisth (Nodal Officer, Agricultural Physics)

Dr. Subash Nataraja (Head, Division of Agricultural Physics)

Dr. P. Krishnan (Professor, Division of Agricultural Physics) 

Dr. Deb Kumar Das (Principal Scientist, Agricultural Physics)

Dr. Sachin Suresh Suroshe (Project coordinator, AICRP on Honeybee)

Dr. Dinesh Kumar (Principal Scientist, Agronomy)

Dr. A.K. Singh (Principal Scientist and Incharge, CATAT)

Dr. Gograj Singh Jat (Senior Scientist, Vegetable Science) 

Dr. Bishnu Maya (Senior Scientist, Plant Pathology)