ਆਤਮ ਪਰਗਾਸ ਸੋਸ਼ਲ ਵੈਲਫ਼ੇਅਰ ਕੌਂਸਲ

Excessive use of urea by farmers in field crops is an issue of serious concern. Atam Pargas Social Welfare Council is continuously striving to educate farmers to reduce consumption of urea using PAU-Leaf Colour Chart (PAU-LCC) technology through its network in academic institutions of the state. Dr. Nachhatar Singh, Director Atam Pargas and Ex-Vice Chancellor, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda told that village Bassian has been adopted under ‘PAU-LCC Awareness campaign’ of the Atam Pargas to develop the village as role model for judicious use of fertilizers with the support of Indo-UK research project ‘Cambridge India Network For Translational research In Nitrogen’ (CINTRIN), PAU, Ludhiana. Six farmers training camps and series of street meetings were organised under the guidance of Dr. Varinderpal Singh, Sr. Soil Scientist, PAU, Ludhiana to sensitize farmers to avoid excessive consumption of chemicals in agriculture at village Bassian. A field day in this concern was organised on April 18, 2018 at village Bassian.

Sixty farmers adopted PAU-LCC based urea application during rice 2017 in the village. The farmers on an average saved 75 kg urea per acre and produced grain yield equivalent to their practice of applying 150 kg urea per acre. After witnessing success of PAU-LCC in rice fields of sixty farmers in Bassian, ninety farmers came forward to adopt PAU-LCC in wheat. All the ninety farmers were seen happy and confident to harvest very good yield from wheat crop raised while following PAU-LCC that lead to saving of 50 to 70 kg urea per acre in comparison with the farmers’ practice. The farmers acknowledged PAU-LCC as simple, economical and farmers’ friendly technology to save huge amount of urea in the village.

Dr. Jasbir Singh, Director Agriculture especially visited to meet the farmers and listen their experience about PAU-LCC in village Bassian. Dr. Jaskaran Singh, Director Extension Education, PAU, Dr. Surinder Singh Kukal, Dean, College of Agriculture, Dr. Eric Ober, NIAB, UK, Dr. Deedar Singh Bhatti, ADE, Dr. Gulzar Singh, Executive Director, Ratan Tata trust, PAU, Dr. Parveen Chhuneja, Director School Of Agricultural Biotechnology, Dr. Varinderpal Singh, Sr. Soil Scientist, Dr. R.K.Gupta, Dr. Roopinder Singh, Dr. Baldev Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer and Additional Directors from different KVK,s of Punjab also witness the success story of PAU-LCC in village Bassian.

Dr. Jasbir Singh was glad to see the enthusiasm of farmers of the village Bassian to adopt PAU-LCC at large scale in the forthcoming rice crop. He promised to launch PAU-LCC awareness campaign across the state. Dr. Jaskaran Singh, Director Extension Education, PAU appreciated Atam Pargas Initiatives to inspire farmers to follow PAU-LCC based N management technology in rice and wheat and asked all the KVK’s to develop at least one role model village like village Bassian in all the districts of Punjab.

Dr. Nachhattar Singh, revealed that if all the farmers of Punjab could be motivated to adopt PAU-Leaf colour chart in rice, wheat, maize and cotton, the annual economic benefit of farmers would reach 256 crore and expenditure of Government on subsidy of urea could also be reduced annually by 525 crore. He told that this calculation is on the basis of saving of only 25 kg urea/acre where as the actual average saving of urea in rice at village Bassian was 75 kg urea/acre. The benefit of reduced expenditure on use of insecticides/pesticides and mitigation of environmental pollution with the reduced consumption of urea would be the additional bonus. He told that views of all the farmers have been recorded and Atam Pargas would release a video documentary on the success story of PAU-LCC in Bassian for creating mass awareness among the farmers in the Punjab. S. Mohinder Singh, Incharge, Atam Pargas Social Welfare Council, Raikot and Director, Guru Nanak Senior Secondary School, Bassian proposed a vote of thanks.