The thunderous growl it will have put forth as a warning.
The shrill flash that precedes it would remind every ear to be alert of the
subsequent beats their drum is to encounter. No sooner, it would land with a
tickling knock on the roofs. From there, it would fall inevitably on the earth
beneath.
The Incessant Knock on the roofs... |
The moment it hits the soil, it would send a faint earthy
smell to greet every nostril. This is ascribed to be due to a chemical called
Geosmin, released by actinomycetes group of soil microbes on the first receipt
of rain. It would then meander a step here and there before finally seeping
into the crevices of soil.
But what when the sky above led to the descend of incessant
downpour? What when the natural catastrophe exercise its advantage over whom we
have no control? Is it a way of nature manifesting its annoyance for the
excessive exploitation of its resources by us?
The crops aftermath its descend, would it have them leaning
and gliding on one another. Their metabolic activities will be arrested under
the inundation. The torrent waves would it have rendered approaching the door
steps of some households, ready to make its encroachment if the dwellers didn't
resist.
The brooks from different directions would have their union
to make a bigger stream of water rushing down. Some simply resorted to stay
stagnant in the mud pool.
The trees would be wailing in the mud pool for they were
agonized by the physiological drought prevailing around their root zones. They might
be cursing for their disability to flee somewhere. The fact that they were
fixed and rooted in a particular place for a lifetime might have doomed and
crippled them. They might be envying us humans for our ability to run towards
our dwellings the moment growling signals were sent from the firmament above.
But for those poor trees that nurtured us, is it not unfair
on our part to let them be drenched and soaked to death? For so long a time
that they spent in rendering services and food to us, can we simply neglect
them? On the contrary, if we fail to exercise some life saving measures, we may
land up getting starved. It is so to say that a team of scientists came up with
the following remedies to mitigate the malady;
To
drain out the water immediately to create congenial conditions for the uptake
of nutrients and normal metabolism of the plant.
If
the aforesaid measure is not feasible, it is recommended to go for a foliar
application of 1% potassium nitrate (KNO3) which accounts to 10g in 1 liter of
water.
But as was a case in myself, some people might question the
accuracy and credibility of the second recommended measure. It is quite certain
that the
foliar application of the nutrient in no way is going to drain the water out. But, it indeed, is to supplement the nutrient deficiency the plant is underway for it cannot absorb through roots, the usual route as it used to be.
In addition, potassium is a macronutrient which imparts
disease resistance. So it is a measure worth practicable when the plant is
under stress and is most prone to diseases. Also, it plays a major role in the
transport of water and nutrients throughout the plant in xylem.
I am uncertain how far my message will reach those needy
farmers. Nevertheless, it is going to make a difference in a small way even if
this could reach a single farmer. For if this was found to be effective, the
news will certainly travel at its own pace to make a huge difference in the
lives of the farmers and the national economy as a whole.
Crops under Inundation. |
No comments:
Post a Comment