Soil scientist pens down poem against stubble-burning

Manav Mander
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, October 26

Advertisement

A senior soil chemist from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has come out with a poem asking farming community to shun paddy stubble burning and protect soil and environment through by adopting various alternatives.

Dr RK Gupta, senior soil chemist, Department of Soil Science, PAU said, “Rice straw can be used to make biochar, can be mixed in the soil, wheat can be sown in standing stubble with Happy Seeder technology, for preparing phosphocompost, to generate biogas, for production of mushrooms etc,” said Dr Gupta. The poem leaves a message for farmers to stop traditional burning stubble in their fields as it helps in saving plant nutrients and keep environment clean.

“My poem asks farmers to convert rice straw into biochar and its subsequent use in crop production will increase the yield of crops as well as improve the fertility of the soil. Mixing it in soil with the help of impliments will save nutrients, reduce the consumption of fertilisers, improve soil fertility and increase the crop yield,” he said.

It speaks about combine harvester fitted with super SMS, as it would eliminate work of evenly spreading straw and wheat could be sown using Happy Seeder without burning stubble.

Dr Gupta suggests that by using straw as the mulch on the soil surface, one would reduce evaporation, control weed, mitigate ill effects of climate change by moderating the temperature.

“The other method is to convert stubble into phosphocompost. It is done mixing 1kg dung in 1,000 litre of water, dip10-15 kg straw bundles in this solution, take them out, spread on sloping or on cotton sticks, add 30 kg rock phosphate for every 500 kg straw. Maintain the moisture content by adding water with the help of a perforated pipe and within 80-90 days it can be used as manure. I have also advocated using straw and wheat bhusa (toori) in equal amount as a medium for growing mushrooms,” he said.