Sunam, August 29:- The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Sangrur of Punjab Agricultural University organised a five-day training programme on Crop Residue Management for farmers of Village Khetla, Block Sunam, District Sangrur. A total of 25 farmers from the village participated in the training programme.
Dr. Mandeep Singh, Incharge, PAU-KVK, Sangrur, motivated the farmers to adopt in-situ paddy residue management technologies and urged them to shun the practice of paddy residue burning in the interest of environmental sustainability and soil health. He apprised the farmers of the adverse effects of residue burning and highlighted the benefits of incorporating paddy residue into the soil.
Dr. Sunil Kumar, Assistant Professor, Farm Machinery and Power Engineering (FMPE), discussed various in-situ paddy residue management techniques and machinery, along with their working and operational aspects. He also briefed the participants about ex-situ residue management practices and the machinery available for the same. He encouraged farmers to give preference to in-situ residue management practices for effective and sustainable management of paddy straw.
Dr. Rukinderpreet Singh, Assistant Professor, (Agronomy), provided detailed information on agronomic practices for successful wheat cultivation in fields with in-situ managed paddy residue, with recommendations specific to different residue management methods. He also apprised farmers about the management of pink stem borer and armyworm infestation in such fields. He encouraged farmers to utilise paddy straw as mulch in orchards and crops such as turmeric and garlic, thereby promoting its productive utilization.
During the programme, farmers were provided with relevant PAU literature on crop residue management and wheat cultivation. Their queries related to residue management, machinery and crop production were also addressed by the experts.