Prefer root-dip treatment for disease-free rice crop: Experts

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 8

Punjab Agricultural University Farm Advisory Service Centre (FASC) experts organised a training camp on seed/nursery treatment of basmati rice in a Tarn Taran village, Kot Mohammad Khan, adopted by the centre.

More than 40 farmers participated in the camp organised under the ‘Farm Advisory Service Scheme’.

Extension specialist (Plant pathology) Dr Parminder Kaur demonstrated how to do seed treatment and root dip treatment of basmati rice with Trichoderma harziamum (a fungus) to avoid foot rot disease which sometimes causes huge losses to the crop. She also distributed the strain among farmers and explained the various activities being conducted by FASC experts and asked the farmers to adopt new technologies invented by the PAU. She told the farmers to cultivate recommended varieties of the PAU which are resistant to diseases and insect pests. Dr Savreet Khehra, an expert of fruit science, emphasised to grow fruit plants in kitchen gardens for nutritional security of family. She explained ways to take care of fruit plants during the summers.

District extension specialist (Agronomy) Dr Parminder Singh advised not to burn wheat straw as there were many alternate ways to manage it and moreover it pollutes the environment. He explained cultivation practices and fertilisation of paddy/basmati crops.

Farmers were also guided about judicious use of agrochemicals on crops and requested to be in touch with the experts in the future.