Minor and scattered incidences of pests and diseases has been tackled in time by the concerned authorities.

Pest situation
Wheat:- Wheat crop is reported to be in earhead formation to milky stage in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Low to moderate incidence of loose smut has been reported in WH 147 and LOK-1 varieties from Indore, Dewas and Ujjain districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Rice:- Rice crop is reported to be in late tillering to booting stage in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. No major incidences of pests and diseases has been reported. Control measures have been taken in an area of 242 hectare in Simoga district against stem borer, leaf-folder and blast diseases. Biocontrol agents such as dragon fly, damsel fly, spiders, miridbug, coccinellids, carabids, lady bird beetle, apanteles and water striders have been reported in good numbers.

Pulses:- The red gram crop is in flowering to pod formation stage in Lucknow, Barabanki and Sitapur districts of UP and Nalanda and Patna districts of Bihar. No major incidences of pest and diseases have been reported during the period. Gram crop is reported to be in pod formation to prematuring stage in Raipur and Durg districts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Trace to moderate incidences of helicoverpa has been reported from Raipur and Durg districts of MP and in Patna district of Bihar. Concerned state agricultural functionaries have been apprised about the incidence of helicoverpa pest.

Oilseeds: Mustard crop is reported to be at pod formation to prematuring stage in Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and UP. In general, incidence of pest and disease has been reported below the economic threshold level. The population of biocontrol agents such as spiders, ground beetle, coccinellids, wasps and chrysopa have also been recorded in promising numbers.

Sunflower crop is reported to be in flowering to grain setting stage in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. No major incidence of pest and disease has been reported in Nagpur district in Maharashtra, Medak, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts of Andhra Pradesh and Tumkur district in Karnataka.

Coconut: Coconut is reported to be in nut formation stage in Kerala. Severe incidence of mite has been reported. Control measures have been undertaken in severely affected districts. About 3,59,30,400 palms have been severely affected in 1,79,652 hectare area. Control measures have been undertaken in cases of 1,10,33,278 palms in 55,166.4 hactare area, benefiting about 3,31,020 growers. About Rs 6.6 crore has been invested so far for use of pesticides like dicofol, neem oil, garlic and soap.

Weather forecast: Scattered light rain or snow is likely to occur in the first half of the week in western Himalayas in association with the western disturbance currently affecting northwest India. Another western disturbance is likely in the second half of the week which may also generate scattered rain or snow particularly in Jammu and Kashmir and HP.

Scattered rain or thundershowers are also likely to occur in West Bengal, Sikkim and northeastern states. There will be isolated rains or thundershowers in Punjab, Haryana, Bihar plateau, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar islands.

Previous week's review: During the week ended March 15, one western disturbance moved across the northwest India. Rain or snow occurred at a few places in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and in the hills of west Uttar Pradesh. Rainfall also occurred at many places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and at few places in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Kerala. Rains occurred at isolated places in east Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, plains of UP, Gangetic West Bengal and Amdaman & Nicobar Islands. Weather remained mainly dry in the rest regions of the country.

Season's review: In the pre-monsoon period beginning from March 1, the cumulative rainfall was normal to excess in five out of 35 meteorological sub-divisions of the country.

Temperatures: During the previous week, day temperatures were above normal by 2 to 4 degree centigrade in most parts of northwest and adjoining central India on some days. Day temperatures were below normal by 2 to 4 degree centigrade in northeasten states, Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh.