Saving the crop: Farmer Peh Peng Tong positioning a hose to pump water from a irrigation canal into a partially dried-up padi field at Simpang Empat Kuar near Alor Janggus in Alor Setar. — GC TAN/The Star
ALOR SETAR: With the hot and dry spell making a return, the three northern states are now experiencing scorching heat as high as 32°C, mainly due to the La Nina weather pattern.
Padi farmers in Kedah have been told to prepare for the worst as there could be a drought, which would affect rice fields’ irrigation and drainage system.
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State agriculture committee chairman Datuk Azman Nasrudin said the optimum temperature for padi planting is between 24°C and 34°C, with accumulated rainfall of more than 2,000mm a year.
“According to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), temperatures above 34°C will reduce the yield.
“Every increase of 1°C would reduce the yield potential of 9% to 10%, especially during the stage of flowering and the filling of the rice seeds,” he said in a statement.
Azman added that the drought could disrupt the process of nutrient intake, water and photosynthesis, which would in turn cause a significant decrease in rice yield.
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He said padi crops that were exposed to drought would show early symptoms such as poor seed germination and limited seedling growth.
Azman said based on simulation research using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer 4.1 (DSSAT 4.1) by Mardi at Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) areas, an increase of 2°C would cause a decrease of yield from five tonnes to four tonnes per hectare.
Farmer Mohd Hanif Darus, 36, said the planting season at his farm in Kampung Sedaka was going well despite the heat and occasional.
“We are now waiting for the harvesting season in early March and hope that the dry season will not worsen,” he said.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director- general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the current hot and dry spell, especially in the northern parts of the peninsula, was not due to El Nino.
“It is the normal La Nina hot weather, which happens in February and March.
“This situation occurs because at this point, the position of the low- pressure area is away from the north of the peninsula, causing moisture to be more concentrated in the south of the peninsula, Sarawak and Sabah.
“Therefore, it is normal for the surface temperature to rise when it does not rain for several days in an area,” he told The Star.
He added that based on observations of the daily maximum temperature at meteorological stations throughout Malaysia up to Feb 21, the highest daily temperature was 36°C, recorded in Hulu Perak on Feb 18.
“Rainfall is more concentrated in the south of the peninsula as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
“Hence, the temperature is a bit high in the north of the peninsula compared to other areas in the country,” he said.
La Nina refers to the periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures across the east-central equatorial Pacific, while El Nino refers to the above-average sea-surface temperatures that periodically develop across the east-central equatorial Pacific.
It represents the warm phase of the Enso (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) cycle.
Meanwhile, Penang Water Supply Corporation chief executive officer K. Patmanathan urged the public to conserve water during the hot spell.
“Use water wisely. Wash your car or motorcycle less often, and use a bucket and sponge if you have do so.
“Instead of using a hose to water the plants in your garden, use a watering can,” he said.
As at Feb 21, the effective capacity for the Ayer Itam dam was at 77.3%, Teluk Bahang dam at 60% and Mengkuang dam at 88.4%.
