The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)- Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Bathinda successfully held a block-level awareness camp on “Crop Residue Management (CRM)” at Balianwali village on September 25. The event drew the participation of 178 local farmers and was a part of the ICAR project ‘Promoting agricultural mechanization for the in-situ management of crop residue in Punjab’. Guided by Dr Gurdeep Singh Sidhu, Deputy Director (Training), KVK, Bathinda, the camp aimed to educate farmers on sustainable practices while addressing key issues related to sowing of wheat following rice residue retention in field.
Dr Ajitpal Singh Dhaliwal, Professor (Animal Science), led the discussions, emphasizing the importance of CRM for enhancing crop productivity and protecting the environment. He urged farmers to avoid burning paddy straw due to its harmful effects on soil health and air quality index.
Dr Vinay Pathania, Assistant Professor (Plant Protection), shared insights on managing insect-pests and rodents in farmers’ fields following in-situ residue management. The focus was on integrated pest management strategies.
Dr Sarvpriya Singh, Assistant Professor (Fruit Science), discussed innovative uses for paddy straw, including its application as mulch for improving soil moisture retention and as compost for mushroom cultivation.
Dr Tejbir Singh Buttar, Assistant Professor (Soil Science), highlighted the benefits of Surface Seeder technology, which allows farmers to sow wheat without burning paddy straw. This cost-effective and user-friendly technology helps manage crop residue effectively between paddy harvest and wheat sowing, increases soil carbon, enhances productivity, conserves water, protects crops from heat stress, and reduces weed infestation, minimizing the herbicides use.
In addition to informative sessions, PAU literature and vegetable seed kits were provided to the participants to promote nutritional security. This initiative reflects PAU’s ongoing commitment to fostering eco-friendly farming practices that enhance both agricultural productivity and environmental health.
Read more: https://www.pau.edu/index.php?_act=manageEvent&DO=viewEventDetail&dataE=datae&intID=9685
