Date:12/06/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/06/12/stories/2004061213980300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Farmers urged to protect grapes crop

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, JUNE 11. With the wet weather of the past few days likely to spread downy mildew, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has advised farmers in Coimbatore region to spray copper fungicide on grapevines, in order to halt the initial spread of the disease.

In a weather-based agro-advisory bulletin issued today by the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, the University said that banana farmers could make use of the rainfall that was likely to occur during the next few days, to apply top-dressing with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, to the five-month-old banana crop. However, spraying plant protection chemicals against pests could be postponed, because rain was expected till Monday, with wind speed touching 20 kmph, from the South West.