IVRI scientists recommend equipment to check stubble burning

Agriculture scientists at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) of Bareilly have recommended some state-of-the-art farm equipment for farmers to make Uttar

Agriculture scientists at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) of Bareilly have recommended some state-of-the-art farm equipment for farmers to make Uttar Pradesh a ‘zero stubble burning state.’

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“Stubble burning has been a major cause for rising pollution levels. Unless we provide farmers with an alternative solution on how to deal with crop residue, we will not be able to check the problem,” said a senior agriculture scientist at the IVRI, requesting anonymity.

He said there were enough modern farm equipment and machines now available in the market, which offered a solution on how to handle stubble without having to burn it.

In a letter to the agriculture ministry, scientists have provided a list of equipment, which the state government can distribute among farmers through cooperative societies or provide easy loan options for their purchase.

Some of this farm equipment recommended by scientists includes super straw management system (SMS), chopper cum shredder, happy seeder machines, which are used for direct sowing without ploughing.

“The use of super SMS with combined harvester helps facilitate management of crop residue. It is attached to the rear of a combined harvester and uniformly spreads loose straw on the field. With this method, farmers are not required to burn the straw before sowing the next crop,” said the scientist.

Some of these machines are already being used by Punjab farmers and UP needs to follow suit, he said.

He said two crops, which are grown on a large scale are paddy and wheat. Wheat is sown and harvested in dry winter season and rice coincides with monsoon season. According to agriculture scientists, farmers get very little time between rice harvesting and wheat sowing and that is why they resort to stubble burning, which is the easiest and most effective method available to them to get rid of crop residue.

“The short gap between summer and winter crops and lack of equipment to manually cut stubble are also reasons for stubble burning,” pointed out scientists.

M Tariq Khan 9415016831