Rampura farmer sets example for paddy cultivators

BATHINDA: Rampura’s farmer Darshan Singh Sidhu is an example for paddy cultivators in the state to follow. He hasn’t put paddy stubble/straw in his fields on fire since 2011. Instead of burning the paddy residue, he has been managing it well, leading to increased soil fertility, lesser agriculture inputs and higher income.

Farmer Darshan Singh Brar in his fields at Rampura. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 15

Rampura’s farmer Darshan Singh Sidhu is an example for paddy cultivators in the state to follow.

He hasn’t put paddy stubble/straw in his fields on fire since 2011. Instead of burning the paddy residue, he has been managing it well, leading to increased soil fertility, lesser agriculture inputs and higher income.

Caring for the environment, Sidhu sowed paddy variety 126 and Lajwab Basmati. The roots paddy 126 variety are densely packed and that of the Lajwab Basmati are loosely packed.

He says that many farmers have been complaining of densely packed roots, making it harder to harvest or chop the stubble.

“The straw management system (SMS) installed combines come as saviour for such varieties,” he says.

Sidhu had sown paddy 126 variety on June 1 and the nursery of Lajwab Basmati on June 15. Till October 10, he had harvested both varieties and prepared his fields for the next crop.

The paddy was harvested using SMS combine. Thereafter, he used chopper machine to break straw into pieces. Next, the disc harrows were used to plough straw back into the fields and water was left accumulated to enable the straw to decompose.

He will leave his fields fallow for the next one month during which the straw will break down into manure, making the soil richer in its nutrient content.

He ended up saving on fertilisers and did not create pollution caused by burning of paddy stubble/straw.

He added that in the past seven years, not only the fertility of soil has increased, very less quantity of pesticides is now needed to combat any pest attack.

In the last season, he used pesticide only once on paddy. After harvesting paddy, Sidhu sows potatoes and this year plans to sow wheat in 14 acres.

While the other farmers use three to four bags (each bag has 50 kg) of urea, Sidhu used only 7 kg urea for his potato crop last year and earned higher yield than other farmers. Till April Sidhu will start cultivating vegetables from which he makes good income.

He appealed to the farmers not to burn paddy stubble and rather plough it back into the fields. Burning stubble destroys nutrients, which otherwise nature gives for free and in abundance.