SIRAJGANJ, Feb 7: Severe cold caused damages to seedbeds in the district, with the doubt of achieving Boro farming target.
Though the temperature increased a bit for the last two days, the severe cold continued to hit the district for straight two weeks, damaging Boro seedbeds.
In this situation, Boro cultivation in different upazilas of the district are set to be hampered.
According to field sources, the seedbeds have turned yellowish and fading. To protect their seedbeds, farmers are weeding, irrigating and covering their seedbeds with polythene.
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension, they are giving necessary advice to farmers on protecting their seedbeds.
A farmer of Chhongachha Village in Sadar Upazila said, he is applying anti-toadstool in his seedbed to check disease.
It will not be possible to grow saplings again if the present seedbeds get damaged, he added.
Farmer Hasem Ali Biswas of Char Mituani Village in Belkuchi Upazila said, "Before maturing, saplings are getting faded. It will increase cultivation cost in purchasing saplings."
The DAE sources said, this Boro season, seedbeds have been prepared on 8,090 hectares (ha) of land in nine upazilas of the district for planting on targeted 1,41,575 ha of land in the district.
Additional Deputy Director (Crop)-Sirajganj Moshkor Ali said, a bit damage is likely to happen to seedbeds due to the severe cold.
He advised applying seven gram urea fertiliser per square metre in yellowish seedbeds and 10 gram gypsum per square metre in faded seedbeds.
He also advised applying mixture of 150 gram MoP, 200 gram TSP and 400 gram gypsum on per decimal land. In fact, this system is very effective in increasing the tolerance-capacity of saplings, the official added.
