Keep groundwater sustainability at forefront: Expert

Advocating economic stimulus and future security while combating insurmountable agrarian challenges, the two-day Kisan Mela kicked off at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Friday amidst the active participation of scores of farmers from Punjab and adjoining states as well as a US delegation of professors and students. Farmers thronged the fair to purchase quality seeds of kharif crops, planting material, bio-fertilisers, farm publications, home-made food products, visit live demonstrations and agro-industrial exhibition to keep themselves abreast of all the latest farm technologies and interact with scientists to resolve their technical agri-problems.

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World Food Prize Laureate Dr Gurdev Singh Khush, fondly known as the ‘Paddy Daddy’ for his legendary work in rice improvement, inaugurated the mela. Lauding the PAU’s varietal and machinery development efforts, he emphasised the urgent need to adopt PAU-recommended short-duration paddy varieties and avoid early sowing to preserve Punjab’s dwindling water table. “We must keep groundwater sustainability at the forefront if we want a long and prosperous agricultural future for Punjab,” Dr Khush said.

Presiding over the mela, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, described the mela as an international one due to its online viewership crossing 50,000 this year. He promoted the sowing of new rice variety PR 132, adoption of direct seeded rice (DSR), and the use of modified combines with drills attached as prefixs. Lamenting the decrease in cotton acreage from 7.5 lakh to less than 1 lakh, Dr Gosal called for an increase in the area under cotton cultivation in Punjab.

Sharon Benes, Professor, California State University, USA, expressed concern over the warmer weather, increased water supply, and groundwater depletion. She disclosed that a 2014 law enactment in California was set to conserve water resources by 2042 through the sustainable use of water. She also advocated sowing of non-water intensive crop varieties and knowledge exchange between the PAU and California State University to address agriculture-related challenges.

Shedding light on research accomplishments, Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research, disclosed the recommendation of new varieties, comprising PR 132 of parmal rice, PMH 17 of maize, Punjab Kangani of millet, Punjab Potato 103 and 104 of potato; French Bean 1 and 2 of French bean, Punjab Raspberry 1 and 2 of raspberry, Punjab Gladiolus 4 and 5 of gladiolus and a few varieties of orange carrot, cauliflower, chrysanthemum, etc. He specifically advised farmers to avoid late sowing of PR 126 in order to avert moisture-related problems for rice millers.

Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, while welcoming the dignitaries, farmers, youths and the others, called upon the agricultural community to go in for cost-cutting through the adoption of improved crop varieties and agricultural technologies, seek skill-related trainings from krishi vigyan kendras of their respective districts, and visit the stalls of self-help groups, which were promoting agri-businesses for financial growth.

Five scientists, including Dr Poonam A Sachdev, Dr Parwinder Singh, Dr Pankaj Rathore. Dr Maninder Singh Bons, and Dr Raminder Kaur were honoured for making outstanding contributions to the development of agriculture at large.