Punjab agriculture at the crossroads
By P.P.S. Gill
IT is time to tell Punjab agriculture’s story — the way it sprouted and how it is getting wilted now.To talk of gains of the two ‘revolutions’ — Green and White — was once a matter of "fakkar" (pride). Looking at the future of the two much-hyped catalysts of change and progress it is now a matter of "fikkar" (concern).

Need to green the grey areas: VC
By Jatinder Sharma
IN achieving sustained growth in foodgrain production in Haryana, the premier farm varsity of the state, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, has played a pivotal role. Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof J.B. Chowdhury, who is also an internationally renowned cytogeneticist, speaks on the contemporary issues of farming in Haryana, in an informal interview with The Tribune.

Farm operations for August

Punjab agriculture at the crossroads
By P.P.S. Gill

IT is time to tell Punjab agriculture’s story — the way it sprouted and how it is getting wilted now.

To talk of gains of the two ‘revolutions’ — Green and White — was once a matter of "fakkar" (pride). Looking at the future of the two much-hyped catalysts of change and progress it is now a matter of "fikkar" (concern).

Agriculture today is beset with new problems posing new challenges to the farm scientists, economists and extension staff. It is, therefore, time to reorient priorities and focus on specific needs and identify target groups in the rural area.

Farming in Punjab has done well; but not the farmers, who are now caught in a debt-trap and remain cash starved. Connivance of several factors and circumstances has put a break on the future growth of agriculture in terms of increasing production and productivity to match the growing needs to galloping population.

In Punjab, rural population accounts for 70.45 per cent of the total population. Of this nearly 70 per cent farmers have operational holdings of less than four hectares and the farm size is further shrinking. Profits are declining, the cost of living is going up and the producer of food as a consumer is finding it difficult to make both ends meet. Socio-economic imbalances have become a cause of family tensions and feuds.

Those who talk of prosperity of Punjab agriculture and its "prosperous" farmers forget the simple fact that the tiller of the land (owner-cum-operator) does not enjoy the economic status equivalent to an average family in Punjab or India. The per capita income of a farming family of say six members is less than the per capita income of a non-farming family in the state.

To bring a semblance of economic parity or to correct economic and income disparities is an arduous task to which those who claim to be "sons of the soil" have to pay attention now. It is in this context that Dr G.S. Kalkat is a worried Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

Everyone knows what ails Punjab agriculture. What is lacking is a coordinated and concerted effort to implement the schemes to solve the problems. What has happened of late, Dr Kalkat says, is that the vicious wheat-paddy rotation has adversely affected "environment, ecology and economics". Punjab today faces a paradox: if it is waterlogging and salinity in one part, it is depleting water-table in another part.

Over the decades, agriculture has been sustained on the strength of chemical fertilisers (Punjab uses 10 per cent of the total fertilisers used in the country; consumption is 158 kg per hectare), plant protection chemicals (Punjab sprays 60 per cent of the total herbicides and 11 per cent of the total insecticides used in India) and farm machinery (the state has 3.65 lakh tractors, 1.45 lakh seed drills, 5.40 lakh sprayers, 3.25 lakh threshers and 7,300 harvesters to name some of the equipment). The last component alone involves an investment of Rs 7,000 crore. The rate of highyielding varities and irrigation cannot be ignored.

Can all this be allowed to go waste or remain idle? Then there are new weeds which have to be tackled. Then there are the existing, old weeds which have become immune and resistant to plant protection chemicals. Yield potential of wheat and paddy is stagnating. The double-cropping pattern (wheat-paddy) does not portend well for Punjab. The solution, says Dr Kalkat, lies in diversification, opting for "genetic material" to evolve crop varieties which are disease and insect-pest resistant. These should also be high-yielding. This applies to milch cattle as well. Paddy must be given up and replaced with less water-guzzling crops like soyabean, maize and groundnut. High-value crops should be introduced.

Simultaneously, Punjab needs scientifically developed marketing infrastructure to cater to the needs of handling fruit and vegetable produce.

Of specific interest shall have to be small farmers owning up to 10 acres of land holdings. For them allied fields, dairying and vegetable and fruit growing have to be introduced with government changing its investment policies. Loans on easy terms shall have to be provided and infrastructure built.

For all this to happen, already a horticulture (including vegetables) post-harvest centres is planned at PAU. Initially Rs 4 crore has been earmarked out of the market fee and rural development fund realised by the government. The two together fetch the Punjab Mandi Board nearly Rs 350 crore annually.

The Budget allocation for the agricultural sector has to be at least 3 per cent. It is barely 1 per cent at present. A status paper on future needs of agriculture is under compilation at PAU, which will be submitted to the government shortly, listing problems, challenges and solutions. Thus, the upgradation of crops and animal husbandry will have to be done together if Punjab agriculture’s story is to be saved from turning into a tale of woes, resulting in socio-economic tensions.

The last important aspect which if left unattended can upset all policies to resuscitate agriculture. It pertains to education. Given the type of sophistication sought in agriculture, unless rural youth is educated and well versed in farm techniques nothing can improve.

From the crossroads where agriculture is it has to be put on a new threshold so that it takes a step to leap forward for the good of humanity.

Need to green the grey areas: VC

IN achieving sustained growth in foodgrain production in Haryana, the premier farm varsity of the state, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, has played a pivotal role. Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof J.B. Chowdhury, who is also an internationally renowned cytogeneticist, speaks on the contemporary issues of farming in Haryana, in an informal interview with The Tribune.

Q: Since the food production in the region has reached a saturation stage, is there any further scope to improve productivity of crops. If so, what are the areas of focus?

A: Obviously. Besides sustaining the areas of the first green revolution, we should concentrate on rainfed areas which cover over 65 per cent of land. We should turn these grey areas green. To ensure increased production, our thrust should be on developing disease resistant and tolerant hybrid crop varieties.

Biotechnology offers unlimited opportunities for enhancing genetic potential of crops and other commodities as also in management of biotic and abiotic stresses. It should be exploited. At the farmers level, they should use quality seeds and other inputs and follow the management practices being advised by scientists.

Q: What are the imbalances that need to be rectified in the overall agricultural sector?

A: Large cultivable areas under various crops continue to register low productivity. There is a wide gap in yields between farmers’ field and demonstration plots, reflecting high technology transmission losses.

On the education front, besides revitalising curricula and teaching methodology as well as upgrading the capabilities of the farm varsity personnel, the emphasis should be on producing manpower more compatible with the prevailing agricultural scenario and able to meet further challenges.

The farm varsity should stress on having more vocational programmes to make their graduates akin to the need of the clients and competent enough for generating self-employment and act as a technology catalyst.

We should try to diminish technology transfer gaps existing between rainfed areas and irrigated areas. The farmer should be educated in proper use of fertilisers, agro-chemicals, irrigation water and other useful cropping practices.

Q: What are the contemporary issues threatening agricultural production in the state?

A: Waterlogging, soil salinity and degradation of soil health due to over exploitation of soil nutrients are the major issues posing threat to agricultural production. Menace of weed philaris minor in wheat and leaf curl diseases as well as attack of bollworm in cotton considerably reduce the production of these crops. Farmers need to be taught about integrated management of plant diseases, pests and soil nutrients. However, to check waterlogging and arrest further fall in underground water-table, immediate action at all levels, including farmers and government, is anticipated.

Q: Have the delayed rains had an adverse impact on crop production in the state?

A: It has definitely adversely affected crops in rainfed areas and paddy in irrigated areas, but the loss is marginal as yet. However, any further delay in rains would result in significant low yield of crops.

Q: How do you foresee the role of the CCSHAU in facing the future challenges?

A: The CCSHAU has in the past 28 years contributed a lot to the development of the agricultural sector in the country in general and Haryana in particular. Its multifarious achievements have also been recognised at the national level by giving it with the National Best Institution Award.

To meet the future challenges, researches have been given reorientation. Besides developing technology for water and salt-affected areas of Haryana, stress is being laid on popularising among the farmers integrated techniques for diseases, insect-pest as well as soil nutrient management.

However, foreseeing the challenges of the 21st century, the course curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and teaching methodology have been modified. Some new job-oriented courses such as M.Sc. in food science technology, fisheries and business administration have been introduced.

Farm operations for August

PADDY

• In the early transplanted paddy crop, drying of leaves due to a bacterial leaf blight disease may be noticed. Spray with any chemical will not be helpful to control this disease. Do not pond water in the field. — Sheath blight may be noticed by the last week of August. The disease can be checked by spraying Bavistin 50 WP at 200 gm in 200 litres of water at the boot stage. Keep the bunds clean by removing grass.

• Leaf and plant hoppers can be controlled by spraying the crop with 250 ml of Lebaycid 1000 EC (Penthion) or 800 ml of Exalux/Quinguard 25 EC or one litre of Coroban/Dursban 20 EC (Chlorpyriphos) or 560 ml of Thiodan/Endocel 35 EC/ Monocro-tophos 36 SL in 100 litres of water.
• The larvae of rice stem borer bore into the stems of young plants and produce dead hearts. When the bore attacks old plants of paddy, then empty and erect white ears appear. The fields showing more than 5 per cent dead hearts should be sprayed with 250 ml of Dime-cron/Cildon/Phamidon/Phosdon/ Bilcron/Kinadon 85 SL or 560 ml of Nuvacron/Monocil 36 SL or one litre of Coroban/Dursban/Lethal/ Durmat Classic 20 EC in 100 litres of water per acre. These insecticides may be repeated as and when damage reaches the economic threshold level. The pest can also be controlled by using 7.5 kg Sevidol 4:4G (carbaryl-gamma BHC) per acre thrice in standing water.
• The larvae of leaf folder insect-pest fold the leaves, eat the green tissues and produce white streaks. Control this pest by spraying 250 ml of Folithion/Sumithion/Accothion 50 EC or 150 ml of Lebaycid 1000 EC or one litre of Coroban/Durmet 20 EC or 560 ml of Nuvacron/ Monocil 36 SL in 100 litres of water per acre. Application of Padan 4 G or Caldan 4 G at 10 kg per acre recommended for control of stem borer also control leaf folder.

SUGARCANE

• To prevent lodging, prop up the crop in the end of August by using trash twist method.
• Iron deficiency has been observed both in the ratoon and plant crops on light textured and calcareous soils. Deficiency symptoms first appear on young leaves as yellow strips between the green veins, later the veins also turn yellow. In severe cases, leaves become white and the plants remain stunted. To correct this deficiency, 1 per cent ferrous sulphate solution (1 kg ferrous sulphate in 100 litres of water per acre) may be sprayed two or three times at weekly intervals.

— Courtesy Progressive Farming