This farmer mixes straw into fields, reclaims his barren land

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 21

Sukhdev Singh, a farmer from Kattianwali village in Malout block, has reclaimed his barren land by mixing straw into the field. He is now getting 32-quintal rice per acre from the same land.

Describing his success story, Sukhdev said he had been mixing straw in the field with an RB plough for four years. He said it resulted into a continuous increase of organic matter in the ground and now, the problem of his saline soil had decreased.

“Straw in the field is a great herb for the land. It helps in controlling the ‘shora’ (efflorescence). The yield of my fields has increased and the consumption of fertilisers has decreased,” he added.

Sukhdev said he had formed a group with other farmers this year and their group had got 80 per cent subsidy on tools such as chopper, mulcher, MB plough and zero tillage drill.

He pointed out that fire not only reduces the fertile power of the land, but also causes damage to environment and kills friendly insects.

Dr Balkaran Singh of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra said in Muktsar district, the electrical conductivity of the land is high. “The only treatment for curing ‘shora’ in the land is to press straw in the field,” he added.