Maize, moong emerge as cushion crops

Maize, moong (black gram) and fodder, besides seasonal vegetables, have emerged as cushion minor crops being sowed before cultivation for various varieties of paddy starts in this region of Punjab.

While proper maize crops are sown in fields after harvesting of potato, fodder, maize and other small tenure crops are sown after harvesting of the wheat crop. Dhaincha (sesbania bispinosa) is another fodder crop being cultivated during the period between wheat harvesting and paddy cultivation.

Mechanical harvesting and cultivation have been cited as major factors prompting farmers to grow three crops in their fields as less time is required for various agricultural processes in comparison to earlier times when manual processes required longer periods.

Harjinder Singh Samra, a farmer of Chhanna village, said potato cultivators normally sowed and harvested maize crops in fields before commencement of the next paddy crop as equipment for mechanical sowing and harvesting were easily available on rent.

“Even in the case of maize crop grown for preparation of fodder pickle, harvesting, cutting and layering of chopped maize in pits is done by owners through specially designed machines,” said Samra, maintaining that dairy farm owners preferred engagement of operators for preparing fodder pickle for their cattle.

Farmers argued that some varieties of moong pulse matured within two months and normally called ‘sathee’ (sixty days) moong, besides fetching higher income enhanced nitrogen content of the soil through nitrogenous bacteria inhabiting nodulated roots.

Amandeep Singh of Saharanmajra village said owners of small land holdings undertook fodder and vegetable cultivation for selling in the open market. “Fodder and vegetables, both fetched higher income during summer due to strained demand supply ratio,” said Singh.

Farmers led by All-India Kisan Sabha leader Baldev Singh Latala urged the Punjab Government to promote crop rotation by providing extra facilities for those exploring new crop cycles with the intent of making agriculture remunerative.