RAJSHAHI, Mar 1: The first rainfall of Falgun, coupled with sandy wind, on Saturday in some city areas, and in three upazilas of the district, Puthia, Charghat, and Bagha, affected budding of mango trees.
Bud damages are feared by garden owners in these areas. According to local sources, in Bagha Upazila, along with the rain, was also a hailstorm, hitting the budding orchards.
Flowering mango gardens also came under attacks of raining in Chapainawabganj on Sunday late night. In the morning, the rain hit Naogaon District. In these three districts, the mango production is the highest.
The sudden rains have made garden owners concerning.
While talking with this correspondent of The Daily Observer, mango grower Jamilur Rahman Jamil of Arpara Village in Bagha Upazila said, he has started to spray anti-toadstool in his garden since Sunday morning.
"The Saturday's rain with hailstorm lasted for about one hour, also along with wind. Now I have been in tension," he added.
He further said, "Still trees are blossoming; some have bloomed into buds; these will not be harmed; yet, blooming flowers will be affected; already flowers are dropping."
"Now there will be attack of toadstool in the trees, and insects will increase. To get rid of them, I have started to spray," he said again.
Dr Shafiqul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer of the Fruit Research Centre-Rajshahi, said, soon after the rain, growers started spraying of anti-toadstool; but it will not work if trees are in blooming stage; it can reduces the yielding a bit; but budded trees will not be harmed.
A mango grower of Shibganj in Chapainawabganj Rafiqul Islam said, he is in tension because of the Sunday's rain as most of the trees are in blooming stage.
Grower Abdul Hamid of Patnitala in Naogaon said, due to the Sunday morning's rain buds will get damaged if it is hot sun.
Weather monitoring of the Weather Observatory office in Rajshahi Latif Helen said, on Saturday noon, 4.4 milimetre rainfall was recorded in the city's Chouddapai area; from 2:40pm to 3pm, the rain continued, with a wind speed of 12 nautical miles; on Sunday it was not raining in the city.
Dr Azizur Rahman, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension-Rajshahi, said, on an average, 70 per cent budding was registered in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore and Naogaon. But he does not fear of much damage.
In the last season, in four districts of Rajshahi Division, mango gardens were on 93,224 hectares of land, with the mango production of 10,28,845 tonnes. But the yielding was less because of off-year.
