PAU-Leaf Colour Chart helps cut use of urea

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 24

Excessive use of urea by the farmers in field crops is an issue of concern in Punjab. Mohinder Singh, in-charge, Atam Pargas Social Welfare Council, Raikot and Director, Guru Nanak Senior Secondary School, Bassian, took the initiative to educate farmers to reduce the consumption of urea using PAU-Leaf Colour Chart (PAU-LCC) technology under the guidance of Dr Varinderpal Singh, senior soil scientist, PAU, Ludhiana. 

Four training camps for farmers and a series of street meetings were organised to sensitise the farmers to avoid excessive consumption of fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture in village Bassian. The PAU-LCC based urea applications were demonstrated in the fields of more than 60 farmers. At most fields, PAU-LCC leads to application of only 75 kg urea per acre and produced grain equivalent to farmers’ practice of applying 150 kg urea/acre. 

Farmer Kulwinder Singh was happy enough to invite farmers to visit his fields and see the grain filled spikes with the use of only 50 kg urea per acre by adopting PAU-LCC. He is proud of saving 50 bags of urea using PAU-LCC in rice and said would use saved urea in the forthcoming wheat crop too.

The farmers acknowledged PAU-LCC as simple, economical and farmer-friendly technology to save huge quantity of urea in the village. Amandeep Singh revealed that the use of PAU-LCC kept his field free from the attack of insects and pests.

Dr Nachhattar Singh, Director, Atam Pargas and ex-VC, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, said that Atam Pargas has a network in more than 300 academic institutions in rural areas of the state and will extend its support to promote resource conservation technologies of the PAU in the interest of environment and society. He revealed that the Atam Pargas team is also instrumental in sensitising farmers to avoid burning rice straw and follow PAU recommendations for improving soil health and avoiding environmental pollution.