 "Punjab area under 'direct paddy' to rise 2.5 times")
Having got wider acceptance from farmers across the state, the area under direct seeding for paddy in Punjab is likely to touch 50,000 hectares in the ongoing kharif season, a two-and-half-fold rise on the last year. Direct seeding was on 20,000 hectares last year.
Direct seeding of paddy can save 25-30 per cent of water in the fields. It involves direct sowing of seeds in the field. As a result, the yield per hectare rises. Besides, it reduces cultivation cost by Rs 5,000-6,000 a hectare.
Traditionally, paddy is grown by planting seeds in a small nursery and then the saplings are transplanted after four weeks to the cultivation area. The saplings are allowed to grow and the fields are kept under three to four inches of water, to reduce weed growth. This 'puddle irrigation' needs a lot of water. Since paddy cultivation is water-intensive, this has resulted in a decline of the water table in Punjab.
Mangal Singh Sidhu, director, agriculture department of Punjab, said the state had started a campaign to make farmers aware about the benefits of direct paddy plantation. Apart from that government was also providing financial benefits to farmers and National Food Security Mission for direct paddy plantation.
In Punjab, acting on the recommendations of Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University not only the state government is making efforts to reach out to farmers for wider acceptance of the technology but also corporates, NGOs and even farmers are actively promoting this technology.
With combined efforts the state government is hopeful that the total area under this methodology would may cross 50,000 hectares during this season. It is expected that in the the current season 27.50 lakh hectare areas would be covered under paddy cultivation, against 28.18 lakh hectares during the last season.
It is worth mentioning that in order to popularise the technology, Pepsico India in 2006, started the direct seeding methodolgy and carried out trial in the fields of 12 farmers, covering about 20 acres and now it covers about over thousands of acres under this technology. Also, Bayer Crop Science, India and Punjab State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation (Markfed) signed a formal MoU in 2010 to collaborate to promote and develop complete package of Direct Seeded Rice in the state to save depleted water.
Direct seeding of paddy can save 25-30 per cent of water in the fields. It involves direct sowing of seeds in the field. As a result, the yield per hectare rises. Besides, it reduces cultivation cost by Rs 5,000-6,000 a hectare.
Traditionally, paddy is grown by planting seeds in a small nursery and then the saplings are transplanted after four weeks to the cultivation area. The saplings are allowed to grow and the fields are kept under three to four inches of water, to reduce weed growth. This 'puddle irrigation' needs a lot of water. Since paddy cultivation is water-intensive, this has resulted in a decline of the water table in Punjab.
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Direct seeding has the environmental benefit of reducing emission of greenhouse gases such as methane. Also, it improves soil porosity that can raise productivity of the succeeding crop.
Mangal Singh Sidhu, director, agriculture department of Punjab, said the state had started a campaign to make farmers aware about the benefits of direct paddy plantation. Apart from that government was also providing financial benefits to farmers and National Food Security Mission for direct paddy plantation.
In Punjab, acting on the recommendations of Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University not only the state government is making efforts to reach out to farmers for wider acceptance of the technology but also corporates, NGOs and even farmers are actively promoting this technology.
With combined efforts the state government is hopeful that the total area under this methodology would may cross 50,000 hectares during this season. It is expected that in the the current season 27.50 lakh hectare areas would be covered under paddy cultivation, against 28.18 lakh hectares during the last season.
It is worth mentioning that in order to popularise the technology, Pepsico India in 2006, started the direct seeding methodolgy and carried out trial in the fields of 12 farmers, covering about 20 acres and now it covers about over thousands of acres under this technology. Also, Bayer Crop Science, India and Punjab State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation (Markfed) signed a formal MoU in 2010 to collaborate to promote and develop complete package of Direct Seeded Rice in the state to save depleted water.