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Ludhiana | This Rajewal farmer is showing the way in sustainable farming
Baldev Singh has not only shunned stubble burning, but is also saving water by sowing short duration paddy varieties through the DSR method
While many others continue to stick to age-old agricultural practices harmful for the environment, Baldev Singh, 44, a progressive farmer from Rajewal village, is setting an example by adopting new and sustainable means of farming and also earning rich dividends from it.
He is successfully growing paddy through the direct seeding of rice (DSR) method and incorporating paddy residue to grow potato and wheat.
“Till few years back, I was also setting the paddy residue on fire and spending thousands on purchasing pesticides and on the maintenance of tractors as it used to develop snag while puddling the waterlogged field for sowing rice, said Singh.
“But a major concern was smoke emitting from the field. Due to delay in the harvesting period, the smoke and burnt residue was causing breathing issues to my parents and children. So in 2017, I along with my brother decided to shun stubble burning. We are also motivating other farmers of my native village not to set the field on fire,” he said.
The decision of not burning the stubble proved to be a boon. With the help of the agriculture department, Singh started incorporating the rice residue in the soil. He said over the years, the soil heath has also started improving. The initiative has brought down the expenses on farming operations, he said.
“I sowed paddy through the DRS method in the middle of June and by September 12, my crop was ready for harvesting. While the paddy crop of the majority of farmers was damaged due to rain on September 23, I was preparing my field for the next crop at that time. I used a rotavator and a plough to sow potato crop in the last week of September. The crop will be ready by November and I will sow wheat using happy seeder machine,” said Singh.
Samrala agriculture officer Sandeep Singh said such farmers are setting an example for others. Singh has not only ended the nuisance of setting the field on fire, but he is also saving water by sowing short duration paddy varieties through the DSR method, he said.
