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Ludhiana: PAU trains agriculture staff in advanced machinery for kharif crops
Around 30 participants, including agricultural officers, assistant agricultural engineers, agricultural development officers and field staff, attended the programme aimed at familiarising extension personnel with modern agricultural machinery and emerging technologies related to paddy, cotton and other kharif crops
The department of farm machinery and power engineering at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) organised a one-day hands-on training programme on ‘Machinery for Kharif Crops’ for officials of the department of agriculture and farmers’ welfare, Punjab.
Around 30 participants, including agricultural officers, assistant agricultural engineers, agricultural development officers and field staff, attended the programme aimed at familiarising extension personnel with modern agricultural machinery and emerging technologies related to paddy, cotton and other kharif crops.
The programme was conducted under the guidance of Manjeet Singh, dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, and coordinated by Mahesh Kumar Narang, principal extension scientist and head of the department of farm machinery and power engineering.
Special emphasis was laid on technologies such as mechanical paddy transplanting, scientific nursery raising, precision spraying and efficient straw management practices aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture in the state.
During the technical sessions, experts delivered lectures on tractor-operated nursery seeders for mat-type paddy nursery, remotely operated paddy transplanters, electrostatic sprayers and drone-based spraying systems. Participants were also sensitised to scientific fertiliser management practices in paddy cultivation.
The programme further included practical demonstrations of advanced farm equipment, including auto-steering systems, high-clearance sprayers, mechanical paddy transplanters, nursery sowing machines and drone spraying technology.
Training sessions and demonstrations were conducted by experts, including AK Dixit, Shiv Kumar Lohan, Apoorva Prakash, Santosh Kumar and Buta Singh Dhillon.
Farmers trained in mushroom cultivation, organic farming
The skill development centre under the directorate of extension education at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), in collaboration with the department of microbiology, organised the second batch of a five-day training programme on mushroom cultivation for farmers and farm women across Punjab.
Alongside the programme, nine extension scientists also received practical training in organic farming techniques aimed at promoting sustainable and chemical-free agricultural practices.
Held under the guidance of director of extension education Makhan Singh Bhullar, the initiative aimed at encouraging farmers to adopt allied occupations and entrepreneurship-based agricultural activities for additional income generation.
Around 55 trainees participated in the mushroom cultivation course, where experts from various university departments delivered lectures on scientific cultivation methods, processing, packaging and marketing of mushrooms.
Providing details about the programme, Rupinder Kaur said mushroom cultivation and organic farming are emerging as viable sectors for self-employment and rural entrepreneurship. She encouraged participants to focus on value addition through products such as mushroom powder and pickles to enhance their income.
Course coordinator Kulvir Kaur said the university organises mushroom cultivation training twice every year to promote the occupation among rural and urban farmers. She added that increasing awareness regarding adulterated food products had led to growing interest in organic farming practices.
Participants were also given practical demonstrations on preparation of mushroom pickle and sustainable farming techniques.
