SWABI: Farmers and agriculture experts on Wednesday feared that the prolonged dry spell would badly affect the wheat yield.

Speaking at a meeting here, leaders of Kisan Board (KB) said that the ongoing dry spell had delayed the wheat sowing on thousands of kanals of land in the rain-fed areas.

Khalid Khan, district president of KB, said farmers also did not get wheat seed in time, blaming agriculture department officials for it.

Jabeen Qamar, an agriculture expert, said the best period for wheat sowing was from October 25 to November 20. “Sowing after November 20 impacts yield. The long dry spell delayed the wheat sowing.”

Agriculture experts said that the weather forecast was that there was no chance of rain till the end of this month, which would further increase the growers’ misery.

Waheed Khan, a farmer from Maneri Bala village, said the continuing dry spell would greatly impact his yield.

He said the growers were already facing problems due to high input costs and lower wheat yield would further constrain their financial position.

When contacted, Mir Khatham, an agriculture department official, told Dawn that dry spell had delayed wheat sowing due to lack of moisture required for germination, causing significant loss in production through reduced yields, shorter grain-filling periods, and impaired grain development.

“Yield reductions can be caused as high as 50-60 per cent or even higher during critical growth stages like flowering and grain filling.

A lack of soil moisture at the time of sowing directly declines seed germination, leading to poor crop stand establishment,” he said.

The official added even if the seeds had germinated, impact on the plant was always severe.

He said that dry spell could lead to reduced plant height, leaf area, and tiller number, all of which were crucial for a productive crop.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2025