PRECISION FARMING-THE NEED OF THE HOUR: FCD

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 20………..



Natural Resource Management is a serious concern in contemporary Punjab agriculture. This was stated by Mr G.S.Sandhu, IAS, Financial Commissioner Development, Punjab, who was on a visit to the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today. He visited the polynet houses installed on the university campus and held parleys with the experts on different aspects of this resource conservation technology. The PAU Director of Research, Dr S.S.Gosal, Addl Director of Research (Natural Resource & Plant Health Management), Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman and Addl Director of Research (FM&BE) Dr Jaskaran Mahal also took part in the discussion. Mr Sandhu was shown around the experiments on drip irrigation and fertigation in cabbage, peas, guava and wheat at the Precision Farming Development Centre (PFDC) of PAU.



Mr Sandhu expressed that the technology was extremely useful and should be extended over the larger areas, adding that its benefits in terms of cost effectiveness and resource conservation will attract farmers. The work on water conservation should also be carried out on different crops in Kandi areas of Punjab, he added. He remarked that precision agriculture techniques is the need of the hour and standardized technology needs to be disseminated to the farming community. The FCD and other dignitaries visited the fields of capsicum grown under mulches of yellow, black and silver colour plastic sheets.



Dr Gosal shared that the polynet house facilities have been recently installed at PAU and are being used for imparting training to the farmers and scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendras. On this occasion, some farmers from Fatehgarh Saheb were also present. Dr Gosal added that after conducting three years of research trials, the technology will be tested under adaptive trials in different locations of Punjab before finally releasing to the farmers. PAU has put natural resource management and eco-friendly technology generation on its active agenda, he said. He elaborated that PAU is conducting research on fruits and vegetables using brackish water in south-western region of Punjab at PAU Regional Research Station, Bathinda.



Sharing the benefits of protected cultivation, Dr Dhiman said, that mechanized mulching using coloured plastic sheets offer multiple benefits of weed suppression, moisture conservation and light reflection that determine the growth performance of the crops. He informed that an interdisciplinary team of scientists has been set up to work on protected cultivation of crops.



Dr Rakesh Sharda, Asstt Research Engineer explained that the technology of drip irrigation ensures better crop growth performance due to micro irrigation facilitating differential irrigation and fertigation over the conventional methods. The drip irrigation system powered by solar energy was demonstrated on the occasion.



Dr K.G.Singh explained that the design of the polynet house with semi automation facilities of venting and shading was indigenously prepared by PAU.
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