Kisan Mela begins at PAU today

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 22

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) will hold two-day Kisan Mela on March 23 and 24. Various departments of PAU will highlight production, protection and resource conservation technologies.

Experts will apprise farmers of the newly recommended varieties, including PR 127 of rice, Pusa basmati 1637, TG 37A of groundnut, AL 882 of arhar, LD 1019 of desi cotton, PAU Bt 1 of American cotton, PAU Kinnow 1 of kinnow, PBH-5 of brinjal, Punjab Swarna of tomato, MH-51 of muskmelon, Punjab Kheera 1 of cucumber and PAU magaz kadoo 1 of pumpkin.

In addition, emphasis will be laid on farm and horticultural crop production recommendations such as application of fertilisers on soil test basis, new techniques of propagation of fruit plants, systems of layout of orchards, rejuvenation techniques of guava and mango. The experts will also inform farmers about chemical crop protection with emphasis on management of yellow and brown rusts in wheat, management of loose smut in wheat, control of alternaria blight in raya, etc.

Resource conservation technologies including zero tillage in wheat, barley and raya, bed planted wheat, drip irrigation and fertigation in sunflower and spring maize, organic wheat, use of PAU-Leaf Colour Chart in wheat, rice, maize and Bt cotton, and green manuring in rice/basmati and biogas generation from paddy straw will also be one of the focus areas.

Exhibition will also highlight health food products, dietary management, farm machinery and equipment including Super SMS, PAU happy seeder, PAU maize dryer, multi crop planter, vegetable washing machine, turmeric polishing machine etc.

The sale of multigrain flour, pickles, fruit squashes, tomato ketch-up, multigrain cookies, oat meal cookies, and multigrain porridge will be another highlight of the Kisan Mela. Flower seed and fruit plants (kinnow, daisy, lemon, sweet orange, grapefruit, guava, amla, ber, papaya, etc.) will also be sold to the farmers.

A drawing competition on “simple marriage” will be organised for children aged between 12-14 years.