Air pollution has been recorded in Tajikistan due to a dust storm. The air quality index in the country, according to the map, which makes measurements in real time, is “poor”. This negatively affects not only human health, but also crops.
According to agricultural experts, dust and dirt particles clog the pores of plants and interfere with the normal absorption of the sun and air. This leads to various plant diseases, the appearance of pests and, as a result, the death of crops, writes Asia-Plus.
“If there is light rain after dusty weather, it would be nice, because the water will wash away the dirt stuck to the plants,” says Bakhtiyor Khaitboev, a farmer from Tursunzade. – The dust storm has a negative effect especially on strawberries (strawberries) and cucumbers in the open field, low temperatures retard the growth of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, fruit trees. According to our observations, there is a negative impact of dust on vineyards and onion and cabbage crops.”
See also: More than 80% of vineyards died from winter frosts in the Gissar Valley (Tajikistan)
On the other hand, possible heavy rains can also have a negative impact on crops, causing diseases and multiplying the number of pests.
“In this case, the farmers will have to treat the fields with protective equipment, which incurs additional costs,” says Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Kurbonali Partoev. — Low temperature and high humidity adversely affect the yield of fruit trees and vineyards. Therefore, in the event of such situations, it is recommended to use chemical, biological means.
Dust storms may prevent Tajikistan from achieving its plans for growing crops: this year, the republic plans to grow more than 2.6 million tons of vegetables, 1.1 million tons of potatoes, 855 thousand tons of melons and 500 thousand tons of fruits.
According to Khaitboev, dust storms arise due to wind erosion: the wind blows away and carries small particles of dry, unstructured, unfixed and unprotected soil. This type of erosion is not observed, for example, in places where trees grow.
Source : East Fruit