FAISALABAD - Farmers have been advised to adopt modern technology and proper management during wheat harvesting as it will help to save 10 per cent loss of wheat yield.
A spokesman for the Agriculture Extension Department said on Wednesday that according to modern research, farmers lose about 10 per cent of their wheat production during and after harvesting due to various reasons including on-adoption of modern technology and proper management. Therefore, farmers should adopt modern technology and evolve effective management plan before starting wheat harvesting. He said that climate changes including premature rains have a significant effect on wheat harvest. Farmers should keep a vigilant eye on the weather forecasts in days of wheat harvesting.
He said that premature harvesting causes the grains shrink while unnecessary delay in harvesting may cause
the grains to fall into the field. Farmers should harvest and thresh their wheat crops in the suitable weather
conditions so that the work can be completed in less time.
Moving grains from the field to the house, warehouse or market after threshing is an important step and the small farmers who lack resources have to pack the grain in sacks and load it on the backs of ox carts and camels. The spokesman said that after getting a good yield, it is a major problem how to store this produce in the market or in the warehouse safely. In rural areas, the farmers store grains for food and seeds in almost the same place. For this purpose, they fill the sacks with grains and put it on the bricks in the rooms or on the porches of the house
or on wooden planks. When grains are stored in warehouses, various types of losses affect the quality and weight
of the grains, he said. He asked the growers to thoroughly clean and spray the poison solution imperative to keep warehouse free from insects and other diseases. He said that after spraying, keep the warehouse closed for two days and no one should be allowed to enter in the warehouse for 4 to 6 hours after opening. Different chemical compounds can also be used to prevent insect infestation in the warehouse whereas leaves of Neem tree can also be placed at the top and bottom of the grains as these will help in reducing the damage of diseases and insects. For the control of rats, poison pills should be used with the recommendations of agriculture experts, he added.