Conserve water, says PAU VC

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 18

Punjab Agricultural University on Tuesday organised the Extension Council and Research Council meeting with the aim of reviewing and giving a new direction to agricultural research and extension activities.

PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr BS Dhillon, who chaired the day-long meeting, called for adopting measures to conserve water in the state. He shared that the level of pesticide residues had decreased. While applauding various university centres for popularising PAU-recommended seed, Dr Dhillon stressed the need for adopting the latest communication and information technologies, which will help align agriculture on scientific and sustainable path to progress. “The formation of Self-Help Groups and Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs) is necessary to get good produce rate,” he remarked.

Dr PS Minhas, former Director of Research and Director of Central Institute, ‘NIASAM’, Barabanki, shed light on an alternate cropping pattern that should be incorporated for promotion of sustainable agriculture.

It was the first meeting that included the new committee of Extension Council and Research Council members with prominent names from among scientists and progressive farmers, vis-a-vis, Dr Joginder Singh, former head, department of entomology, Dr IK Garg, former head, department of farm machinery and power engineering, Dr PK Mehta, former director, extension education, Palampur, while among progressive farmers, Dr Harminder Singh Sidhu of Raikot, Darshan Singh Sidhu of Bathinda, Gurpreet Singh of Batala and Shamshad Ahmed of Malerkotla as the new extension council members.

Dr Navtej Singh Bains, Director of Research, outlined the major research achievements of PAU.