Agro-experts inspect cotton crop sown with drip irrigation

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, July 21

Cotton crop sown using drip irrigation in Fazilka, Muktsar, Bathinda and Mansa districts is growing healthy without any report of pest attack. This was observed by a team of agro-experts who inspected the cotton crop this week.

The Union Government is encouraging the farmers to adopt drip irrigation technology for cotton crop by providing a subsidy of 80 per cent on the total cost of the equipment to overcome the scarcity of power in peak summer months and preserve the constantly depleting underground water.

Under the instructions of Dr Kahan Singh Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture, the team of experts comprising Dr Joginder Singh, Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar and others, observed the condition of crop mainly for nutrients management in the villages of Hisar district in Haryana for a comparative study in Punjab villages. Cotton on drip irrigation in Haryana started about two years ago, while in Punjab this project was initiated during the current season.

Dr Joginder Singh and Dr Brar said at present, mostly the farmers were following the doses of macro and micro nutrients as recommended for conventional methods by agricultural universities. “The purpose of the study is to reduce the intake of fertilisers and pesticides in the crop sown on drip irrigation,” they said.

They observed that there was an urgent need to work out the actual doses of fertilisers which were required on cotton sown on drip irrigation. “The scientists are working on this project and hopefully we will evaluate the doses by the next cropping season,” they added.