Saturday, October 24, 1998
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Saturday, October 24, 1998 |
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poplar for good returns By Kulvir S. Bangarwa IF the earth is living organism then the forests are its lungs. they cleanse the air, regulate the weather, protect and enrich the soil and are a store-house of riches for man as well. How to face
starvation stage Pesticides:
the safe alternative Fly ash
for more crop yield Anti-waterlogging
strategy |
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By Kulvir S. Bangarwa IF the earth is living organism then the forests are its lungs. they cleanse the air, regulate the weather, protect and enrich the soil and are a store-house of riches for man as well. The high rate of deforestation in the developing countries has increased the attention of the foresters and planners on economic and fast-growing trees. Poplar (Populus deltoides), because of its fast growth, straight growing stem, short rotation and quality wood production has been extensively planted in north-western states of India — Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. It has been adopted as an agro-forestry tree by farmers because of its deciduous nature, fast growth and profitability. The poplar sheds its leaves during winter and it grows straight with a high clean bole and small crown. These characteristics make it friendly to the growth of agricultural crops. About 160 poplar trees can be planted in one acre. After seven-eight years, the tree attains a girth of about Im at breast height (1.37m) and such an average tree fetches about Rs 1,500. Marketing of poplar wood is not a problem. The poplar wood can be sold in Yamunanagar and other places of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, income from an acre of poplar plantation comes to Rs 2.40 lakh i.e. Rs 30,000 per year per acre. The income from inter-cropping of agricultural crops will be extra. Inter-crops such as wheat, sugarcane, potato, mentha, berseem and various vegetables can be grown. Paddy, however, should not be grown with poplar. The Rabi crops can be grown for the entire eight years. For the kharif season, after three-four years, shade-tolerant crops such as ginger and turmeric can give good returns. Poplar is native to North America, successfully cultivated in plains of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. The following are some tips for the cultivation of poplar. — Deep and fertile soil is suitable for poplar. Poplar prefers well drained neutral soils, but can be grown well on soils having pH between 5.5 to 8.0. — G3 clone of poplar has shown excellent promise as fast growing with a straight bole. G48 has also proved its worth as a potential clone in Haryana and Punjab. G48 requires more irrigation as compared to G3. These clones attain commercial size of girth about 100 cm in seven-eight under good management conditions. — The poplars are propagated from stem cuttings of about 20 cm length and 1. to 1.5 cm thickness (pencil size). The cuttings are prepared preferably from one-year old plants. Cuttings are prepared in January-February when the plants are leafless and are planted in nursery with a spacing of 45 x 45 cm. Before planting, cuttings should be soaked in water for 4-5 days. Cuttings are planted in soil leaving at least one or two buds or eyes above ground. Apply light irrigation weekly. Do not allow other plants and weeds to grow in the nursery. Plants of about 4-5 m become ready for transplantation after one year (next January-February). — One-year-old bare rooted saplings (4-5m) are used for transplanting in January-February. Saplings can be purchased from the Department of Agro-forestry, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, or from the Forest Department. At least 25 square metre area is required for the proper growth of the poplar tree. Pits of one metre depth and 20 cm diameter are dug with the help of auger. Similarly, 8x3m and 6x4 m2 spacings are optimum for the proper growth of trees and mechanised agricultural practices. Rows should be made in north-south. The pits are filled with top soil, FYM and superphosphate (50g). Along the water channels and boundaries, the poplar are planted 3m apart. For the first two years, weekly irrigation is advisable. Subsequently, irrigation at an interval of 10-15 days is sufficient. — Fertilisers applied to the agricultural crops are sufficient to meet the requirement of poplar trees. — Remove the buds
which sprout on lower than 3m of the stem in the first
year. In the second year, branches competing with the
leader needs removal and interfering branches should be
removed. Similar operations are required in the third
year. In the fourth to seventh year, remove lower
one-third to half branches. Pruning should be done during
winter. Excessive pruning is harmful which reduce the
growth and also deteriorate the wood quality. |
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How to face starvation stage By Gobind Thukral AS we enter the 21st century, about 800 million people or 20 per cent of the world’s population — mostly in the developing countries — would be starving. It would lack economic and physical access to food for a healthy living. If the world population increased by 2.3 billion in the past 40 years, it would shoot up by another 3.6 billion in the next 40 years, most of the increase being in the developing countries. About 12 per cent of the world’s total land surface is now being used to raise crops. The amount of cultivated land for food is a quarter of a hectare per capita and it is decreasing each day as the population pressure in increasing. The rate of expansion of arable land is also not very high. The use of widespread bad and outmoded farm practices worldwide make the situation miserable. Either land is being overused or more chemicals are being dumped, besides pesticides and insecticides. Safe food is another problem. Top soil is being lost every day. Pests and insects play havoc. Scientists say that the excessive use of chemicals is dangerous and pests and insects too are developing resistance. Farm practices are costly and the farmers suffer losses. Many in Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are forced to end their lives in tragic ways. So what is the answer to this burgeoning problem? One answer is plant biotechnology. There is need to develop such varieties as are more resistant to disease and also mature early and cost less and this could be done through new test-tube technologies. There is also need to fight disease in more advanced and safe ways. Plant biotechnology is an extension of the traditional plant breeding with one very important difference. Plant biotechnology allows the transfer of greater variety of genetic information in a more precise and controlled manner. This more precise science allows plant breeders to develop crops with specific beneficial traits and without undesirable traits, such as those which would reduce crop yields. Many of these beneficial traits in new plant varieties fight insects, diseases and weeds. Others provide quality improvement — tastier fruits and vegetables, processing advantages, such as tomatoes with higher solids content and nutrition enhancements, such as oil seeds that produce oils with lower saturated fat content. Through biotechnology researchers are introducing the bacillus thuringiensis (BT) gene into plants, allowing them to protect themselves from certain pests. Plant can carry the BT defense system with them as they grow, producing this protein at vary low levels to protect them from specific insects. As a result the need for chemical insecticide sprays to control target insects is reduced and, in many cases, eliminated. In addition, beneficial insects that could be harmed by broadspectrum insecticides are spared. These insects then can help provide control of other harmful insects that may feed on crops or carry diseases, consistent with integrated crop management methods. Plant diseases, including fungal and viral diseases, can devastate the yield and quality of crop production. To minimise the economic loss resulting from plant diseases, farmers must often plant more acreage than they expect to harvest. This extra acreage increases farmers’ planting, fuel, water and fertiliser expenses, which must be passed on to the consumer. Biotechnology makes possible the development of crops protected from certain types of plant viruses, which offer farmers agricultural, economic and environmental benefits. In developing countries, weeds are one of the main constraints to the crop yield increase. Herbicide-tolerant crops offer farmers a vital tool to fight weeds and are compatible with no-till methods, which help preserve top soil. If herbicide-resistant crops are developed and planted, environmentally safe herbicides could be used to kill weeds. The major benefit would be reduced usage of environmentally unsafe herbicides. By introducing a gene or genes into a crop plant, many other advantageous features may be possible. A genetic trait controls the ripening of tomato, pepper and tropical fruits. This trait allows time to transport the produce to long distances and results in tastier foods far from the crops’ native regions. The potato and tomato developed with higher solids content offer decreased processing costs because less energy is needed to extract water when producing these crops. Corn and soyabean with increased essential amino acid content, the building blocks of protein, can improve the quality of protein in food products and animal feed made from these crops. Currently three
universities in the region located at Ludhiana, Hisar and
Solan are engaged in research to push biotechnology and
evolve high grade, insect and pest-resistant seeds and
also increase their food quality. |
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Fly ash for more crop yield By Vimal Sumbly SCIENTISTS at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, have found encouraging results from the use of fly ash of thermal power plants in the agricultural production. For the past four years, the scientists have been working on the utility of fly ash in agriculture and, according to them, the results have shown an increase in the crop yield after its use. According to Prof M.S. Kuhad, Head, Department of Soil Sciences, CCSHAU, Prof M.C. Oswal and Dr K.S. Grewal, the main aim of their research has been to find the utility of fly ash in agriculture. The fly ash is already used for various engineering purposes like bricks and embankments. The fly ash is the waste product in thermal power plants where coal is used as fuel. According to the scientists, about 50 per cent of the coal remains unburnt and unconsumed. It gets deposited at the bottom in the form of ash. In Haryana every year three million tonnes of fly ash is produced at the thermal power plants at Panipat and Faridabad. And at the national level about 50 million tonnes of fly ash is produced annually. Obviously, the disposal of the huge quantity becomes difficult. Although it is used for non-agriculture processes like road filling, mortar manufacture and brick-making, its utility in agriculture has remained unexplored so far. The scientists have experimented the utility of the fly ash on bajra and wheat. They have found very good and encouraging results. According to Professor Oswal, bajra recorded an increase of 16 per cent in the grain yield and 20 per cent in straw yield, while in wheat the scientists recorded 9 per cent increase in the grain yield and 25 per cent in the straw yield. This increase in the yield, according to the scientists, was achieved after using only 5 per cent of the fly ash inputs in the soil. The yield increased further with the increase in the input of the fly ash. The scientists have found the use of fly ash in soil is beneficial in more than one way. After a thorough analysis, it has been found that with the use of fly ash, the water holding capacity in the soil increases. It also prevents the crust formation in the soil which is the main problem in the cotton, bajra and mustard cultivation. The crusting leads to poor germination. Moreover, the fly ash also helps in mulching, which checks the water evaporation from the soil. The black colour (of the fly ash) also helps in modifying the soil temperature in favour of the crops. However, the scientists have advised against using the fly ash blindly and without tests. They say it is necessary to examine the soil and the fly ash before it is put to use. The quantity of the fly ash needed various with the soil texture also. Professor Kuhad points out
if the fly ash is used in agriculture, it will need to be
used in bulk which will help in easy disposal of this
"waste product". So far, the transportation of
the fly ash has been found difficult. It is convenient
for the farmers of the adjoining areas of the thermal
plants to use it. Transportation to far-off places leads
to a lot of wastage. |
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By S.K. Sondhi THE south-western part of Punjab is suffering from the problem of waterlogging and salinity in an area of about 1.6 lakh hectares. The major problem has been noticed in the Muktsar and Malout area. The high water-table area adds to the intensity of floods during the monsoon season and the damage inflicted becomes enormous. During last year, the cotton crop was completely damaged and it was not possible for a number of farmers to sow the wheat crop during the rabi season. The rural water supply, roads and buildings were also badly damaged. To arrest the problem of waterlogging on sustainable basis, the following management strategies are suggested: Surface drainage system: An integrated planning for surface drainage system in an area of 1.6 lakh hectares is to be done. The existing surface drains already provided by the Irrigation Department need to be reconditioned and properly maintained. In addition, new surface drains are to be added. The department has already prepared a proposal for the installation of network of surface drains. The surface drainage will not be effective unless main drains are linked to the field drains through link drain. Therefore, the state government’s plans for surface drainage should be modified to include the link and the field drains. Sub-surface drainage: Though the surface drainage system will ensure efficient disposal of surface run off during the rainy season, yet there may be some pockets which will need sub-surface drainage to keep the water-table below the root zone. Such pockets need to be identified and put under the sub-surface drainage system. Removal of obstructions of drainage system: One of the major causes of the floods and waterlogging during the rainy season is obstruction of the natural drainage system by development activities, particularly roads and canals. The Irrigation Department must ensure the removal of such obstructions before the rainy season each year. Effective control of seepage from canals: Another major cause for the rise of water-table leading to development of waterlogging is the lateral seepage from irrigation canals. The state has a plan to install 500 tubewells to check the seepage. About 40 tubewells have already been installed. The possibility of checking the seepage could have been the provision of inceptor drain. The state Irrigation Department may like to examine the technical feasibility and economic viability of interceptor drains vis-a-vis shallow tubewells. Enhancement of ground water use: At present, about 60 per cent of the net annual water recharge is being utilised for irrigation through tubewells in this region. With a view to minimising the rise of water-table, the use of ground water needs to be enhanced through installation of skimming wells and shallow tubewells. The poor quality water can be utilised in conjunction with canal water. Application of gypsum is recommended when RSC or irrigation water exceeds 2.5 me/1. Since there is a wide scale variation in the quality of ground water from place to place, the farmers can get their water samples tested from Punjab Agricultural University and obtain the necessary recommendations for use of poor quality ground water in conjunction with canal water and the amount of gypsum to be added. The farmers may be given electric connections on demand and granted subsidy for installation of tubewells and purchase of gypsum. On farm water management: The distribution, application and utilisation of irrigation water should be carried out most judiciously so as to minimise the deep percolation losses. The strategies developed by Punjab Agricultural University for scheduling irrigation to crops, proper selection and design of irrigation methods and innovative methods of irrigation such as drip/sprinkler irrigation should be adopted. Preparation of master plan: A comprehensive mater plan for an integrated water management drainage and other development activities for the problem area may be prepared and action for the same initiated in the right earnest. Such a plan would have several elements and the action on some should be immediately taken while on others it may have to wait for further funding. The problem of
waterlogging cannot be resolved by government agencies
alone. There has to be an effective public participation
at the village, block and district levels. A suitable
mechanism could be worked out for the constitution of
various committees for effective participation of
beneficiaries, representatives of participating
departments and social activities. |
Onion: On 15-20 cm high beds, sow 4 kg seed either of Punjab Red Round or Punjab Naroya,Punjab Selection (red skinned) or Punjab 48 or PDW 1 (white skinned) variety to raise seedlings for transplanting in one acre. Keep the ratio of nursery bed and field area to 1:20 (8 marlas: 1 acre). To check lifting of seeds by ants apply BHC 10 per cent dust in a band around the nursery bed areas. Irrigate the kharif planted crop once a week. Plant bulbs for seed production. Tomato: Start sowing nursery of tomato. Use 200 to 250 gm of seed of the recommended varieties in a one-marla (25 m) bed area to grow seedling for an acre. Sow TH-2312, S-12, Punjab Tropic and Punjab NR-7 for local markets and kitchen gardens, Punjab Kesri for medium distance markets and Punjab Chhuhara for long distance marketing and processing purposes. For planting in nematode infected fields, sow nursery of only the resistant variety Punjab NR-7 or Hybrid TH-2312. Root crops: Apply one quintal of CAN, 155 kg superphosphate per acre for radish, turnip and carrot. Carrot also requires 40 kg muriate of potash per acre. Sow varieties Punjab Safed, L-1, and Sel. 21, Sel. 233 and No 29 of radish, turnip and carrot using 4, 2 and 4 kg seed per acre, respectively. Sowing on 45 cm ridges is better than in flat planting because of high yield, easy harvesting, better root shape and richness in nutrients. Leafy vegetables: Sow palak, methi, lettuce and Chinese cabbage by using 5 kg of seed for direct sowing and 200 and 250 g for raising nursery respectively. Ornamentals Roses: Pruning of roses is done in this month for removing the diseased/dead and criss-crossing branches. The cut ends should be treated with Blitox or Bordeaux paste immediately after pruning or spray the plants with Bavistin at 0.2 per cent. The new plants of roses can also be planted in this month. Bulbous plants: The bulbs of narcissus (nargis), gladiolus, dahlia, etc. can be planted at a 7-10 days interval in this month. Stop watering summer bulbous plants like caladium, football lilly, etc. when they shed leaves and uproot the bulbs 7-10 dasy after stopping water. Store the bulbs in cool place after treating with Bavistin at 0.2 per cent for 20 minutes. (Progressive Farming, PAU)
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