Crop sown without burning stubble assessed

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 20

Dr Narinder Singh, Director, Seed, Union Agriculture Department, today visited fields of farmers at villages, including Jassi Pauwali, Ghumman Kalan, Ramnagar and others, where the farmers had sown wheat crop this season without burning stubble and incorporating the straw into the fields.

Dr Narinder Singh wanted to check the proper implementation of the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and to see the growth of wheat under this project.

The mixing of the paddy straw into the agriculture fields gave double benefit to the farmers by reducing the sowing cost with ‘happy seeder’ machines on the one hand and incorporating the stubble into organic green manure on the other.

Besides, the achievement of the target of reducing environment pollution, the use of ‘happy seeder’ machines benefitted the famers by saving their friend insects in the fields that use to die after the paddy straw was set on fire.

Jagtar Singh Brar, chief agriculture officer, Bathinda, said, “The use of the ‘happy seeder’ machine is beneficial from all angles. It also improves soil fertility by incorporation of organic matter into the soil. Initially, farmers get worried that their crop would not be nurtured after the paddy straw is incorporated into the fields. However, after two months, when farmers see their wheat crop getting better than others, they get back their confidence.

Brar added, “More than 10,000 hectares of land have been brought under sowing with the help of ‘happy seeder’ machines. HD 3086 variety was preferred during sowing under the NFSM. Farmers save Rs 2,500 per acre by adopting this method of sowing.”

Farmer Mohinder Singh of Ghumman Kalan village, said, “The method is easiest and cheapest to sow wheat. We can save Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per acre. The subsidy on the ‘happy seeder’ machines is also provided by the government.”