As the paddy harvest is approaching in October in India, farmers are already experiencing greater anxiety due to climate change and pests.

The increase in temperature, uncertain monsoon rains, and high humidity are creating favourable conditions for insect attacks and fungal infections, threatening both output and grain quality. For attaining a remunerative harvest, it is imperative that farmers adopt climate-resilient approaches and effective crop protection strategies. At Dhanuka Agritech, our mission is to equip farmers with advanced and environmentally friendly products to defend their crops at this critical time.

Moisture and Water Management

Erratic rainfall often leads to either excess water or sudden dry spells in paddy fields. Farmers are advised to adopt alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation for efficient water use and better soil aeration. Proper bunding prevents water runoff, while laser land levelling ensures uniform distribution of moisture. These practices also reduce the breeding grounds of pests such as the brown planthopper, which thrives in stagnant water.

Soil and Nutrient Health

Healthy soils generate strong crops. The use of green manures, biofertilizers, and organic amendments increases the health of soils and enhances populations of microorganisms. Sustainable use of micronutrients like zinc and iron reduces spikelet sterility and maximises grain filling. Also, using climate-resilient varieties of paddy makes farmers tolerate variable climatic conditions.

Pest and Disease Management

During grain-filling and ripening periods, pests like stem borer, brown planthopper, gall midge, and leaf folder present severe risk, while diseases like blast, sheath blight, and bacterial leaf blight may result in huge yield loss if left unchecked on time. To combat these challenges, farmers must adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches consisting of both protective and curative tactics.

The possibility of early detection is guaranteed by using pheromone and light traps, and neem-based and microbial formulations assist in naturally repressing insect populations. Systemic insecticides rapidly absorbed and translocated in the plant are effective in controlling stem borers and hoppers. Again, dual-purpose fungicides possessing protective and curative features are essential to check the spread of fungi and protect plants from sheath blight and blast.

Smart Farming Tools

With the aid of digital advisories on weather, sensor-based tracking, and drone spraying, farmers are able to apply solutions in a more precise manner and reduce their time and labour and other resources. Dhanuka highlights biopesticides, systemic insecticides, and protective fungicides in conjunction with soil health promoters as key approaches to overall crop protection. Quick action, long duration of action, and environmentally safe farm outcomes are the features of these sophisticated solutions. With these climate-smart approaches, paddy farmers in India will be able to protect their fields from climate and pest menace and get greater output and better grain quality come this October.