Phagwara: Grow eco-friendly groundnut, farmers told

Punjab Agricultural University’s KVK Kapurthala, under the Directorate of Extension Education, PAU, Ludhiana, organised a field day on spring groundnut variety J-87 at Mothawal village. The event aimed to promote sustainable and profitable crop diversification among farmers, highlighting groundnut as a promising alternative crop for Punjab’s changing agricultural scenario.

Balbir Singh Seechewal, Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist, spoke on the critical importance of conserving irrigation water in Punjab’s farming system. He appreciated groundnut for its low irrigation and minimal fertiliser requirements, emphasizing how this eco-friendly crop can help mitigate environmental issues and promote sustainable agriculture in the region.

Tarsem Singh Dhillon, Additional Director of Extension Education, PAU, described this initiative as a pioneering step toward reviving spring groundnut cultivation in Punjab. He stressed the need for developing a comprehensive agribusiness model that integrates advanced production technologies, mechanisation, efficient marketing strategies and processing infrastructure to support farmers and ensure the crop’s commercial viability.

Dr Harinder Singh, Associate Director (Training), KVK Kapurthala, shared insights into Kapurthala’s rich history of groundnut cultivation, which spanned over 12,000 hectares during the 1980s. He discussed how the current dominance of water-intensive crops like paddy, potato, and spring maize, covering more than 16,000 hectares with cropping intensity exceeding 300 per cent, has led to alarming groundwater depletion. He advocated for spring groundnut as a water-efficient, low-input legume crop suitable for integration after potato harvest. The crop improves soil structure and fertility, reduces urea requirements in succeeding crops and helps suppress soil-borne and foliar diseases in melons and other horticultural crops.

In the technical session, Dr Mandeep Singh detailed the recommended package of practices for cultivating spring groundnut, highlighting the J-87 variety’s attributes. The variety matures within 100-115 days, yields up to 15.3 quintals per acre and requires only 4–6 irrigations, making it highly water-efficient. He reported that farmers can expect net returns between ?70,000 and ?75,000 per acre. Field demonstrations were conducted in multiple villagesl including Mothanwala, Jorjpur, Barindpur, Lohian Khas, Sial, Bhagwanpur, and Bhagatpur, allowing farmers to observe crop performance firsthand and interact with experts for solving field issues.

Dr. Gagandeep Dhawan, Assistant Professor of Soil Science, elaborated on the vital role of groundnut in enhancing soil health and sustainable agriculture. He explained that groundnut fixes 25–60 kg of nitrogen per hectare through symbiotic relationships with rhizobium bacteria, which reduces the dependence on synthetic fertilizers and saves 55-130 kg of urea per hectare. This nitrogen fixation improves soil organic matter, enhances soil structure and boosts microbial activity, contributing to long-term soil fertility and resilience. He encouraged farmers to incorporate groundnut into their cropping rotations to improve soil productivity and reduce chemical inputs.

Dr Suman Kumari, Assistant Professor (Plant Protection), discussed the major insect pests affecting spring groundnut such as aphids, leaf miners, thrips and white grubs. She provided valuable guidance on integrated pest management practices, emphasizing the importance of regular monitoring, seed treatment and the judicious use of biopesticides and recommended insecticides. These measures are crucial to protect the crop effectively while maintaining ecological balance.

The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks delivered by farmer Jarnail Singh from Kamalpur, who expressed sincere gratitude to PAU-KVK Kapurthala, the distinguished guests, and the experts for their continuous support and efforts in promoting spring groundnut cultivation. He encouraged fellow farmers to adopt this sustainable and profitable crop to enhance their incomes while conserving natural resources.