NEWS WIRE

FAISALABAD  –  Agriculture experts have termed the second half of July most important for maximising paddy yield and advised growers to complete rice cultivation during last fortnight of current month. A spokesman for the Agriculture (Extension) Department said here on Sunday that paddy crops could be cultivated in all types of soils except sandy soils that cannot retain standing water as water is an essential requirement for successful rice cultivation.

He advised the farmers to transplant nursery of coarse rice varieties such as NIBGE GSR-6, NIBGE GSR-7, NIBGE GSR-8 and SKC 32-5-370 up to July 25. Similarly, transplant period for fine basmati varieties including Super Basmati, Basmati-515, Super Gold, Basmati-2019, PK-1121 Aromatic, PK-2021 Aromatic, NIAB Super, NBR-2, NIBGE Basmati-2020, Chenab Basmati, Punjab Basmati, NIAB Basmati-2016, Noor Basmati, PK-386, PK-10029 (Vital Super Hasti), PK-10436 (Sona Par Basmati), NIAB S-39, NIAB HTT-18, Guard 101 and Kisan Basmati is also up to July 25. He said that the farmers should maintain standing water in the field for 10 to 15 days before transplanting the nursery and then carry out puddling (Kaddo) to prepare the land. In case of limited water availability, the growers should maintain water for at least 7 days and if water shortage is severe, they should ensure at least 3 days of standing water before puddling.

He said that the fields should be properly leveled to obtain maximum yield. He said that plant density should be 160,000 plants per acre which can be achieved by planting two seedlings per hole in 80,000 holes with a space of 9 inches in both directions. He said that the farmers who did not apply zinc sulfate in the nursery stage should applying zinc up to 10 days after transplanting. The recommended dosage of 33% zinc sulfate is 6 kilograms (kg) per acre or 27% zinc sulfate is 7.5 kg per acre or 21% zinc sulfate is 10 kg per acre, he added.

Published Date: July 15, 2025