ACIAR project to address stubble burning issue

A project led by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) can help address the issue of stubble burning, a release issued today by the Australian High Commission said.
Titled "Value chain and policy interventions to accelerate adoption of Happy Seeder zero-tillage in rice-wheat farming systems across the Gangetic Plains", the project was aimed at building momentum for a Happy Seeder revolution, it said.
Happy Seeder is a zero-tillage solution whereby seeds can be planted directly into the stubble without the need for land clearing or tilling, eliminating the need to burn crop residue.
It was developed by the Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University, and Australian engineers and scientists with support from the ACIAR a decade ago, the release said.

Each year, Punjab and Haryana generate an estimated 30 million tonnes of paddy straw, which is later burnt and become one of the main causes of air pollution.
The release quoted the Australian High Commissioner to India, Harinder Sidhu, as saying, "Through this new project, we can work collaboratively with Indian partners to not only ensure better productivity and soil health, but also address the issue of stubble burning."
The project would kick off with a workshop hosted by the International Food Policy Research Institute in Chandigarh next week that would bring together officials from the central government and the states of Punjab and Haryana, including scientists, extension officials, farmers and machinery manufacturers to discuss ways to promote the Happy Seeder technology.

ACIAR will work with the Centre for Global Food and Resources at the University of Adelaide, and Indian partners from the government and the agribusiness sector to deliver the project, the release said.