Scientists for making trenches in maize fields for good yield

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, July 24

Agricultural scientists in Moga, the heartland of the Malwa belt, have come out with a novel idea of making trenches in the maize fields after a month of sowing seeds to control weeds, increase the efficiency of fertiliser consumption and save underground water by effective utilisation of rainwater.

One of the experiments conducted at the government seed farm in Raonta village of the district has helped drain out excess water easily from the maize fields after heavy rains lashed the region early this week.

The glut of rainwater in the fields under odd conditions damages maize plants to a great extent thus affecting the production.

Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar, state-awardee agro-scientist who has been conducting this experiment for the past couple of years, said, “The pneumatic planter helps spread the seeds in a uniform manner that further helps make trenches at equal distances with the help of tractors without damaging the maize plants,” he said.

Weeds often attack maize plants at their infancy stage, three to five weeks after sowing, but by making trenches after four weeks of sowing helps control the weeds in a natural way.

“The farmers can even control the weeds completely without any chemical sprays by adopting this method,” Dr Brar claimed.