TAXILA: The prolonged dry spell in the Potohar region has left the wheat crop at vulnerable to slow growth and disease and is causing great stress for farmers.

Farmers said that crops in this region are mainly rain-fed and the wheat crop desperately needs rainwater. They said that continuation of the dry spell for another two weeks will cause huge financial losses.

Tahir Suleman, a farmer, told Dawn that neither pesticide can be sprayed nor fertilizer added to soil if plants are at an advanced growth stage without adequate presence of water in the soil.

Shoukat Ayub, Kissan Council Chairman said the first half of December had passed without any rains, causing worry to growers who depend on showers to irrigate crops. He said the wheat crop faces dual threats of disease and low yield. `Farmers, religious leaders and people are offering special prayers for rain,` he said.

Ms Shaista Yasmeen, an agriculture officer for Taxila said that total cultivated area of tehsil Taxila is 40697 acres of which the irrigated area is only 4876 acres while rain fed area is 33003 acres.

Explaining the ideal conditions for the wheat crop she said the ideal temperature for germination of wheat seedis 20-30 degree Celsius and the crop could be badly affected if the dry spell continues and temperatures remain low.

She said the current crop in the area is between one to one and a half month old and the height of the plants is around 6 inches. `At this stage the plants are in a desperate need for water,` she said.

Discussing solutions she said that if the dry spell continues, farmers should spray water in the wheat fields and for the future drought tolerant seed varieties could be introduced.When asked for solutions to the problem, she suggested that the farmers and peasants should sow drought tolerant seed varieties in the future while another possible remedy for the current dry spell is spraying water in the wheat fields.

Other agricultural experts said that wheat growers need irrigation at all stages of the process and so tube wells should be introduced in the Potohar region where few farmers have installed tube wells and canals don`t exist.When asked for solutions to the problem, she suggested that the farmers and peasants should sow drought tolerant seed varieties in the future while another possible remedy for the current dry spell is spraying water in the wheat fields.

Other agricultural experts said that wheat growers need irrigation at all stages of the process and so tube wells should be introduced in the Potohar region where few farmers have installed tube wells and canals don`t exist.