Crop residue management helps farmers in enhancing soil fertility

Karnal, October 14

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Leading the way, some farmers are not only earning from crop residue management, but also contributing to improving the fertility of the soil. The farmers are adopting in-situ and ex-situ methods with the help of various machines, including straw balers, happy seeders, paddy straw choppers, multure, rotary, plough, super seeder, zero drill, hay rake, self-propelled crop reaper and others.

As per the authorities, the in-situ method involves incorporating stubble into the soil with the help of crop residue management (CRM) machines, while the ex-situ management involves lifting the stubble from the fields and supplying it to stubble-based industries by making bundles.

Raghvinder Singh Warraich and his son Samrath Warraich have adopted stubble management practices for the past six years on 60 acres at Ramba village. They claimed that the incorporation of stubble into the soil had improved the soil fertility. Ashwani Kumar, a farmer of Santadi village, has been using a baler machine for the past five to six years during the paddy harvesting season. The baler machine helps in collecting and bundling the paddy stubble. He said the farmers had taken to the stubble management methods, due to which the number of farm fire had reduced in the past couple of years. “They get nearly 2 to 3 tonne of straw from one acre, which they supply to different industries, including paper mills, ply industry and others. They get Rs 1,800 per tonne,” he added. Dr Wazir Singh, Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA), said they had issued permits to 1,000 farmers of the ex-situ and in-situ straw management machineries. The government would provide a subsidy to them soon after the verification by a committee.

DC Anish Yadav said the district, block and village-level committees had been formed to keep a vigil on farm fire incidents.