Less soyabean flowering raises worries of reduced output this yr

INDORE/UJJAIN: Failure to spray insecticides on soyabean has hampered growth of standing crops in some pockets of Indore, Dewas and Ujjain, a field survey by Indian Institute of Soybean Research, Indore revealed raising worries of drop in output from largest producing centre of the country and exports of soyabean meal.
Lack of flowering in crops may sharply reduce output of soybean in one of the prominent cultivating regions of state that produce about 70 per cent of the soybean production in India.
Soyabean is sown in 108.185 lakh hectare in India with Madhya Pradesh having an estimated acreage of 54.77 lakh hectare, according to agriculture department.
Following complaints from farmers about lack of flowering in soyabean crop even after over a month of sowing due to excessive rains led Indian Institute of Soybean Research to initiate a survey in affected areas. The agriculture department has also launched a survey, the report of which is likely by end of this week.
VS Bhatia, director, Indian Institute of Soybean Research, Indore said, “Acting on some complaints related to lack of flowering in farms from some farmers in areas of Sanwer, Dewas and Ujjain, we sent a team of experts to conduct a field survey. It was found that those farms, where insecticides were not sprayed, did not have flowers while adjoining farms with timely spray of insecticide were developing well.”
As per recommended practice for farmers, 2-3 rounds of insecticides have to be sprayed on the crops after a month of sowing to save them from attacks, according to the research institute.
Experts have also claimed that excessive water in farms reduces level of oxygen leading to mineral deficiency in plants while higher ethylene levels hamper growth of crop.
State agriculture director Mukesh Shukla said, “We have sent our officials to assess the crop condition in Ujjain, Dewas and others. Report is expected by end of this week.”
Contrary to survey report of Indian Institute of Soybean Research, farmers in the affected pockets have claimed that excessive rains are the culprits behind the phenomenon. They demand compensation from state government.
Santosh Choudhary, sarpanch from village Lodh under Tarana tehsil said, “Flowering has not taken place in farms of over 100 farmers of my village while many farmers from nearby villages including Nanded, Choti Talwal and Devli among others have reported a significant drop in flowering in soyabean farms.”
A group of farmer’s from villages in Shajapur staged protest in front of collectorate and later on national highway leading to traffic disruption on Tuesday demanding compensation from the state government.
Bahadur Singh Bormundla, ex-president, Krishi Upaj Mandi Ujjain said, “I have not witnessed such scary picture before. I have been doing soyabean farming since past 39 years but this is the first time that almost 90 per cent farms do not have flowers.”