The erratic weather patterns with sudden rain and cloudy weather in parts of Goa may hurt the crop prospects of the state’s mangoes, triggering some concerns about pests and fungal attack.
The mango crop requires a cold spell to reach its stage of fruition, but humidity due to the sudden rain can certainly spoil things, according to agriculture director Nelson Figueiredo.
"There was a cold spell in the October-end-November-beginning period which has gone down, since then. Over the past few days there has been a slight drizzle, with cloudy weather and rain creating humidity. This can impact the crop because pests like leaf hoppers become more active. Overcast and cloudy weather is very favourable for their multiplication,” he said.
A farmer from Ponda said that the sudden showers have proved to be beneficial for other crops like arecanut and coconut, but mango horticulturists will have problems: "Winter's cold temperatures are essential for mango flowering, but the rain has brought humidity. This is a start of the flowering season which will be affected due to the cloudy weather. If it rains continuously in the coming days. it will delay the flowering season by 15 days. which will further delay the fruit-bearing season.”
"The rain can lead to black spots or even fungal growth on the flowers which will have a severe impact on the fruition of the crop: another farmer said.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
