E-Paper
Ban farming of long duration paddy varieties in Punjab: PAU report
The PAU report expressed concern over the issue of rapid depletion of water in central districts of Punjab where water guzzling long duration paddy varieties are commonly grown
: A report by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has recommended a ban on the cultivation of water guzzling long duration varieties of paddy during the Kharif season, underlining the issue of rapid depletion of groundwater level in central districts of the state where these types of rice are commonly grown.
“Our studies on declining water have indicated that in central districts of the state including Sangrur, Ludhiana, Moga, Mansa, Barnala, Patiala and Bathinda the water level is declining at an alarming pace. The study found that in all these districts the majority of the farmers are opting for long duration PUSA-44 and Peeli PUSA varieties of rice during the Kharif season,” director of research (officiating), PAU, Dr AS Dhatt said.
The report was tabled on Sunday before chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who asked farmers to adopt eco-friendly and economically viable direct seeding of rice (DSR) technology during the upcoming Kharif season to save water and electricity.
Dhatt said these long duration verities are causing multiple problems.
“Firstly, due to its long duration, farmers are compelled to sow the crop early. These varieties take a month more to mature as compared to short duration varieties (PR- 126 and PR 121), which means a greater number of watering the field. Further, these varieties produce a considerable amount of stubble as compared to short duration ones resulting in higher number of farm fires,” Dhatt said.
The chief minister’s nod to the DSR technique has come as an encouragement for PAU experts who have been pushing for it for nearly a decade.
In 2020, DSR was planted in 13.5 lakh acres of land, while in 2021, the area under DSR was increased to 15 lakh acres, said agronomist Dr MS Bhullar.
‘Ban field puddling for paddy sowing’
A former district agriculture officer, Daler Singh, who was invited during the meeting chaired by CM, demanded a complete ban on puddling the field for sowing of paddy crops.
Daler, 80, has been promoting the sowing of paddy on ridges (bed planting), and is now promoting the dry puddling technique for transplanting paddy in place of traditional water-guzzling puddling for sowing of the crop.
Daler’s farming techniques of sowing rice is popular not only in Punjab and neighbouring states but his method of bed planting of rice is highly popular in the neighbouring country Pakistan.
“Puddling has made a place in farmers’ psyche and they are unable to come out of it. If we don’t ban this method, this malpractice will continue and the underground water in Punjab will vanish completely,” he said.
