The Directorate of Extension at S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir has released comprehensive guidelines for farmers for the month of February. The guidelines cover various crops and activities that farmers should focus on during this time.
For rabi crops like wheat, the farmers are advised to clean their fields and channels to prevent water stagnation during winter. They should also apply a top dose of urea (3.25 kg/kanal) if the temperature rises and growth starts in the last week of February.
For apple farming, the guidelines suggest removing and destroying infested twigs, collecting and destroying egg masses and borer-infested branches, and pruning dried-up trees. The guidelines also suggest rodent management by removing dropped rotten fruits, debris, and grasses from the orchards to discourage rodents from finding food and shelter.
For apiculture, the guidelines suggest narrowing the entrance of the hives and closing crevices to protect the bees, providing them with sugar candies as food if needed, and removing snow from the top of the hives in case of snowfall. The hives should also be kept on a stand to prevent moisture from rain or snow and the clusters of bees should not be disturbed.
For all temperate fruits, the guidelines suggest providing proper drainage in the orchards to drain off surface water and collecting and destroying fallen leaves. Diseased and mummified fruits should be buried in compost pits to prevent the over-wintering of pathogens, and cankered twigs and dry branches should be pruned and destroyed. Bordeaux paste or Chaubatia paste should be applied on pruned or scarified areas.
For vegetables such as turnip, radish, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, and knol-khol, the farmers are advised to provide proper drainage in their orchards or fields to prevent water logging. For potato planting, the guidelines suggest arranging for quality potato seed tubers from a reliable source and planting them in the last week of February if weather permits. The recommended potato varieties are Shalimar Potato-1, Shalimar Potato-2, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Giriraj, Gulmarg Special, Hirpora, K. Shailja, and K. Himalini.
For leafy vegetables like kale, orach, spinach, methi, and seed crops, the guidelines suggest early nursery sowing of seeds in protected structures like cloches, low tunnels, playhouses, or hotbeds. Transplanting of cauliflower can also be done in the second week of February if desired. Proper drainage should be maintained for seed crops, garlic, onion, and pran to prevent water logging.
The guidelines also advise pruning of youth fruit trees if weather conditions permit, and adopting modified leader systems for different types of fruits. In case of uprooted plants due to heavy snowfall, their roots should be covered with soil and the plants should be subject to heavy pruning before the spring growth. For nursery operations such as bench grafting, the guidelines suggest starting bench grafting of nursery stock, and walnut grafting in mid-February under polyhouse conditions.
For planting, proper decisions should be made regarding variety selection, rootstock, tree size and spacing, pollinator placement, and planting layout before planting. The planting of strawberries can be done in the fourth week of February if not done earlier.
