Heavy rain, pests may slash soyabean crop by 10%-12% in MP – trade body

Pune: Incidence of pest and diseases following heavy rain, especially on early-sown crop may increase losses of soyabean crop in Madhya Pradedh, said Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA).
"In Madhya Pradesh, the overall loss of production may be 10% to 12%. However, the weather in coming weeks will have a great bearing on final yields," said a statement from SOPA.

Following reports of damage to soybean crop in MP, SOPA undertook a quick field survey of maximum affected areas.

"Most affected districts are Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Dhar, Sehore, Harda, Shajapur, Mandsaur and Neemuch, although some damage is seen at other places also," said DN Pathak, executive director, SOPA.

It said the damage was more in early-sown crop. Some local varieties and the JS-9560, JS-2029, JS-9305 are among the worst hit, it said.

"The damage is mostly caused by sudden very heavy rains and variation in temperature, creating a congenial environment for large scale attack of dormant Rhizoctonia, Aerial Blight and anthracnose (pod blight) which infected the soybean plants. Some damage has also been caused by stem fly. There is no wide spread attack of yellow mosaic virus, although some areas are affected. The yellowing of the crop is the combined effect of stem fly, RAB, anthracnose and not by YMV."

Farmers are being advised to take suitable crop protection measures to minimise the yield loss.

"We have also taken feedback from Maharashtra and Rajasthan but the affect there is negligible as of now," said Pathak.