Punjab Agricultural University’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Gurdaspur organised a five-day training programme from September 11 to 16, 2024, for 25 owners of Custom Hiring Centres who have purchased crop residue management machinery with the support of government assistance. The training, conducted under the ICAR-ATARI, Zone-I, Ludhiana project, “Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in Punjab,” aimed to equip participants with the latest techniques for managing paddy straw and preparing fields for rabi crops.
Dr. S.S. Aulakh, Associate Director (Training), welcomed the participants and stressed the harmful effects of crop residue burning. He urged the adoption of both in-situ and ex-situ residue management practices, depending on field conditions, and informed attendees about the availability of machinery at subsidized rates through KVK.
Dr. R.S. Chhina, Professor of Agricultural Engineering, provided in-depth knowledge about operating machinery such as the Super SMS, Smart Seeder, Surface Seeder, Happy Seeder, and zero-till drill, including the latest PAU Surface Seeder and PAU Smart Seeder for efficient wheat sowing.
Dr. Satwinderjit Kaur, Associate Professor of Soil Science, discussed composting methods for paddy residue, while Dr. Ankush Paroch, Assistant Professor of Animal Science, highlighted the use of paddy residue in biogas production and animal fodder and shared best practices for dairy management.
Er. Deepak Bhardwaj, Assistant Agriculture Engineer, shared insights into government schemes benefiting farmers for crop residue management. Progressive farmers S. Shamsher Singh Sandhu and S. Attar Singh shared their experiences and success stories, motivating participants to adopt sustainable practices.
The training concluded with interactive sessions, exposure visits, distribution of educational literature, and a reinforced commitment to eco-friendly crop residue management.
Read more: https://www.pau.edu/index.php?_act=manageEvent&DO=viewEventDetail&dataE=datae&intID=9634
