Farmers told about benefits of residue management technique

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 28

In an effort to curb the stubble burning menace, 50 students of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and state farmers organised programmes — a Kisan Goshti, a door-to-door campaign and a rally — at Shero village, Model Town 1 and Model Town 2 to raise awareness of straw management. The rally was jointly organised by the Farm Advisory Service Centre, Sangrur, and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kheri, under the guidance of Dr GS Buttar, Director Students’ Welfare, PAU.

PAU experts Dr Buta Singh Romana and Dr Mandeep Singh highlighted the benefits of in-situ paddy residue management technology. Referring to various machines, they delved upon the smart seeder technology, which manages paddy residues by incorporation and surface mulching and thus smartly retains benefits of both Happy Seeder and Super Seeder in a single machine. They also shed light on the recommended varieties and agronomic practices of rabi crops as well as subsidy being offered by the government for farmers’ benefit.

Students and farmers organised a rally from door to door at Shero village and the grain market, convincing farmers and farm women to adopt stubble management technologies.

Later, a literature on paddy straw management was distributed among farmers. An awareness camp on ‘Crop Residue Management’ was held at Bathan Dhua village. Final-year students of BSc Agriculture (Hons) of the Department of Extension Education motivated the farmers to restrain from burning paddy straw in fields after harvesting. Students sensitised the farmers to the issue of crop residue management by means of poem recitation, slogans, posters and lectures.

Meanwhile, a training programme was organised by PAU in which Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research, PAU, stressed on managing paddy residue through in-situ management with available machinery such as Happy Seeder, Super Seeder, Smart Seeder, etc. The in-situ management of the paddy residue is important towards building the soil health vis-a-vis curbing air pollution, which is occurring as a result of paddy straw burning, he added.

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