A farmer’s success story from burning crop residue to its mgmt

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 13

Palwinder Singh, a 39-year-old farmer of Baronga Zer village, Fatehgarh Sahib district, has set an example for fellow farmers by managing crop residue.

A postgraduate and higher diploma in Cooperative Management, Palwinder Singh took to farming to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a farmer for the betterment of society. He carries out farming on 22 acres — 6 acre of his own and 16 on lease — with farming experience of 20 years.

Rice-wheat; rice-potato; and rice-potato-sunflower are the main cropping systems adopted by him. Being avid visitor to Punjab Agricultural University’s Kisan Mela since 1998, he has been fascinated with new technologies disseminated by the Panjab Agricultural University (PAU). In 2006, he got attached with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Fatehgarh Sahib. Initially, he received training on the conservation of resources from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Fatehgarh Sahib, and got motivated to save natural resources — air, soil and water.

“I am a strong believer of preachings of Guru Nanak Dev ji — Pavan guru paanee pitaa maataa dharat mahat Divas raat du-i daa-ee dayaa Khaylai sakal jagat (wind is the teacher, water is the father, and earth is the great mother. Day and night are the two kind nurturers, and (the world) plays under them),” he said.

“I visited the Fatehgarh Sahib Krishi Vigyan Kendra several times and discussed various means and ways to utilise straw in field and consequently tried to incorporate straw in soil as suggested by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra scientists. It was during one of my visits in 2007 that I came across ‘happy seeder’. In 2008, under the guidance of Krishi Vigyan Kendra scientists Dr HS Sidhu from PAU and Dr John Blackwell from Australia, I sowed wheat with happy seeder on my 1.5 acres,” he added further.

But the straw management expedition was an uphill task for the farmer in the initial years. Several times, his friends discouraged him and suggested him to burn paddy straw and prepare the field with no additional cost, said Dr Navjot Kaur Dhillon from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

“Sowing wheat with happy seeder when stubble was still on the fields was an idea not acceptable to many. I became a laughing stock for family and friends who frequently told me that sowing in this way would lead to no germination on fields. People used to say that my education has backfired and I have gone mad. Despite discouragements, my mother Jasvir Kaur and paternal uncle Hukum Singh stood by my side,” he shared.

In the first year, wheat sown with happy seeder did not bear satisfactory results but he was determined to adopt the innovation no matter what. Next year, following same practices with certain amendments and inspiration from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, he was able to get bumper crop with enhanced soil properties.

In these years of isolation from friends, his only companion was his smart phone on which he captured photos and videos, which he later shared with fellow farmers after reaping good harvest from happy seeder fields. With impressive growth and yield of wheat crop, he became the talk of the town, garnering appreciation.

In 2010, he motivated several farmers of his village to sow at least one acre wheat with happy seeder and more than 20 farmers relent to his wish. Within no time, he became a role model for farmers. Since 2008, he has been sowing wheat with happy seeder.

Other farmers follow suit

Being a member of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Welfare Club, Bronga Zer, Palwinder Singh motivated nearby villagers by showing the results of his techniques. After this, farmers started adopting the resource conservation technologies such as laser land leveller and happy seeder. After being a witness to results of innovation on Palwinder Singh’s fields, three farmers — Lakhvir Singh, Gurjant Singh and Manjit Singh — purchased happy seeders. The four of them formed a group and their happy seeders were leased out to farmers of nearby villages — Baronga Balund, Salana, Rattanpalo, Kumbh, and Kumbhra. In 2017, several farmers from across Punjab called him to know his experience with the PAU happy seeder during all these years. 

DCs directed to check stubble burning

Ludhiana: Rakesh Kumar Verma, Principal Secretary, Department of Science, Technology and Environment has written to the Deputy Commissioners in the state to take necessary steps to stop stubble burning. Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said if farmers burn stubble, it would be marked in their revenue records and strict action would be taken against them. It has been directed that any member of any board or government department, who owns any agricultural land, must not burn paddy stubble. He said the PPCB engineers, junior engineers of Power Department, patwaris of Canal and Revenue Department, and officials of the NCC and NSS have been directed to keep a vigil on the burning of paddy stubble and report about defaulters. TNS