The Soybean Oil Processors Association (SOPA) expects a crop damage of 10-12 per cent for the oilseed on account of heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh, the largest soyabean-producing State.
Based on a quick field survey of rain-hit areas in MP, SOPA said the most affected districts are Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Dhar, Sehore, Harda, Shajapur, Mandsaur and Neemuch. Some damage is also seen in other places, it said. However, the damage is negligible in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
In MP, the early sown crop is the most-affected. Maximum damage is seen in JS-9560, JS-2029, JS-9305 and some non-notified local varieties. Soyabean has been planted in 58.3 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh this kharif, an increase of 12 per cent over last year’s 51.95 lakh ha.
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 (RAB) and anthracnose (pod blight) which infect the soysbean crop. Some damage has also been caused by stem fly.
There is no widespread attack of yellow mosaic virus, although some areas have been affected. Farmers are being advised to take suitable crop protection measures to minimise the yield loss.
In MP, the overall loss of production may be 10-12 per cent. However, the weather in coming weeks will have a great bearing on final yields, the trade body said. In its recent first advance estimates, SOPA had pegged the 2020 crop in MP at 58.53 lakh tonnes, against a production of 40.17 lakh tonnes in the previous year. SOPA had estimated the all India-production at 122.47 lakh tonnes against last year’s 93.06 lakh tonnes.
