Abstract

In the south Madras, the monsoon is active from July to November with occasional showers upto mid January, the heaviest rain fall being in October and November months. In lighter sandy soils, preparatory operations like deep ploughing could be carried on with some difficulty by the end of January and February. In heavy soils, particularly in the eastern Tanjore delta, the soil is too wet and it is not ready for any ploughing operations till late in February or March. The delay is greater, particularly when the fields are surrounded by swamp paddy crop varieties like late 'samba', which come for harvest by February-March. Planting of sugarcane under such soil conditions is generally not possible till March or April.

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