Award for PAU scientists
By A.S. Prashar
DR Pushpinder Paul Singh, Dr O.P. Jhorar, Dr Rajinder Singh and Dr S.S. Sokhi of Punjab Agricultural University have been given the prestigious Dr Harbhajan Singh award for developing predictive model for downy mildew of muskmelon.

Genes of contention
By Dinesh Kumar
BIOTECHNOLOGY is often recognised as the final frontier for mankind. It gives man the power to play God: today, crops are being engineered to contain genes that make them faster growing and healthier; a gene can be tinkered to make them rot slower, making them longer shelf life.

New wheat varieties
THE Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has made certain suggestions for wheat farmers to get better crop production during the just-beginning rabi season.

• Farm operations for November
  

Wheat farming with minimum tillage

By Jaskaran Singh Mahal and L.N. Shukla

TILLAGE which is mainly associated with ploughing has been a major farm activity for raising crops. It is manipulation of soil by ploughs, cultivators, harrows and other implements to make it loose and fine. A fine seed-bed helps germination of seeds, in addition to weed control, better aeration, moisture conservation and incorporation of biomass and crop residues.

Farms are invariably well equipped with costly implements for the purpose. In the past, farmers and farm scientists have emphasised on heavy tillage for successful farming. This operation is now being mostly powered by agricultural tractors numbering around 1.7 million in India. The number of tractors is rising by about two lakh per year in the country. These machines are fuelled with hydrocarbons mainly diesel.

The cost of diesel and mobile oil is rising. These hydrocarbons will last at the most next 30 to 50 years.

In such conditions it becomes very important to minimise their expenditure by reducing tillage. The availability of herbicides and the motive of reducing the cost of production has provided enough incentive to the researchers in the past couple of decades to investigate the tillage operation more closely. Most of the work has been done in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, India, China and some other countries of Africa and South America.

The work has been performed with the objective of establishing crop raising parameters and yield under the minimum tillage, no-tillage and optimum tillage conditions.

In India, scientists at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and the GB Pantnagar University of Technology, Pantnagar, have successfully concluded that wheat after rice can be grown under the minimum tillage or no-tillage conditions. The major problem in the adoption of such technology has been non-availability of a suitable sowing machine in an unprepared field. The adoption of no-tillage technology under Indian conditions also faces a psychological block from farmers who strongly believe that good field preparations are required for raising successful crops. To overcome these problems and make way for the adoption of the minimum tillage technology the Farm Power and Machinery Department PAU, has developed a tractor-drawn strip-till-drill.

The strip-till-drill has been successfully tested at PAU Research Stations and in farmers’ fields for the past few years. In the paddy, wheat rotation it can be directly operated after manual harvesting of paddy. The combine-harvested fields have to be cleared of straw with the help of stubble shaver as most of the farmers are doing at present before traditional seed-bed preparations.

The machine can also be used in cotton belt after uprooting cotton stickes.

The machine uses a nine-row standard seed-cum-fertiliser drill, in addition to a rotary tiller. As a name of the machine suggests, it tills the soil in strips before placing seed and fertiliser. The rotary tiller fits in front of the furrow opening and seed and fertiliser placing devices.

The rotary tiller is a horizontal transverse shaft having nine sets of rotary blades, one set in front of each seeding units. It is powered through the power take-off (PTO) shaft fitted at the rear of every tractor. Each set of blades has three C-shaped curved blades fitted on a flange of rotor. The Rotor runs at 300 rpm. As a result, a strip of a 3-inch width is finely prepared for seed placement. Strips are spaced at 8 inches. So, a width of 5 inches is not directly disturbed between every two strips of tilled soil. However, the impact of the blades also loosens this untilled strip to some extent.

In this way an area less than 40 per cent is tilled in strips and nine rows of wheat spaced at eight inches can be sown. The total saving in terms of energy and time is about 60 to 70 per cent. In the traditional style of field preparations the farmer uses implements like harrow, cultivator and planks.

In total five to eight operations are required depending upon the type of soil and the previous crop.

The strip-till-drill does not require any additional operation. A plank can be attached at the rear of the machine for light compaction of soil, if required. The machine leaves behind enough loose soil for making irrigation bundhs.

The strip-till-drill weighs around 400 kg and can be operated with any tractor with 35 hp or above. It is a tractor rear mounted machine. The three-point hydraulic system of every tractor is capable of handling it. In addition to wheat, it may find its way for sowing other crops in due course of time. Since the rotary tillers are excellent machines for puddling operations, the rotary attachment of the strip-till-drill has a place in rice cultivation also. Seed hoppers and seed placing units can be detached from the frame and rotary unit can be used for puddling before rice transplantation.

Economics of the machine is in its favour even if it is used only for wheat sowing. It is priced at about Rs 35,000. There are at least three manufacturers of this machine at present. The use of the PAU prototypes and some commercial machines by farmers has confirmed that there is no reduction in the yield. The machine can return its price in the first sowing season if used for 50 acres or so through diesel and labour saving. Timely sowing can help increase yield.

Sowing delayed after recommended period results in the loss of one quintal of wheat yield per acre per week. Experts believe that the minimum disturbance of soil at the time of sowing reduces weed emergence. Thereby, the machine may help to some extent to cope with the wheat weeds, especially "gulli-danda" (phalaris minor). The machine has good potential to provide mulch of standing stubble at the time of sowing and thereby helping in moisture conservation and to get other advantages of mulch. Punjab Agricultural University has already recommended this machine for farmers of Punjab.

The Punjab Government has given 50 per cent subsidy to promote this machine for the year 1998-1999. The strip-till-drill is definitely expected to become a common machine for wheat sowing in the near future.

Award for PAU scientists

By A.S. Prashar

DR Pushpinder Paul Singh, Dr O.P. Jhorar, Dr Rajinder Singh and Dr S.S. Sokhi of Punjab Agricultural University have been given the prestigious Dr Harbhajan Singh award for developing predictive model for downy mildew of muskmelon.

The award has been instituted by the Vegetable Scientists Association of India and carries a cash prize and a citation. This is for the first time that PAU scientists have won this laurel.

In this study, they developed a prediction model of catastrophic disease, downy mildew of muskmelon. The model is based on the combined effect of temperature and relative humidity under field conditions. With the help of the model, they identified that temperature and humidity prevailing in May and June are most crucial. The information on predictor variables as generated in the present study may be utilised in identifying the "disease risk" periods. This can help in proper timings of fungicide application, particularly the systemic fungicides with eradicant properties.

Such fungicides are required to be sprayed under high "disease risk" period only. The use of this model will not only save unnecessary expenditure on fungicides costs alone but will also help in avoiding the problem of resistance built-up in the pathogen.

Gone are the days when muskmelon was grown on river beds alone. It is now grown in thousands of acres of land in Punjab. It is a cash crop, next only to tomatoes, sown in February and harvested around June and fetches between Rs 15 and Rs 30 per kg. Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a major market for Punjab Muskmelon.

Its acceptance even on festive occasions is obvious from the fact that it now forms part of the decorative "shagun" fruit baskets. A farmer can earn up to Rs 50,000 per acre of muskmelon grown in areas around cities like Ludhiana.

Dr Pushpinder Paul Singh, senior Plant Pathologist in the Department of Plant Pathology, PAU, is a Fellow of the Korean Science and Engineering Foundation and worked on the fungal disease of cucurbits in Korean University, recently.

Dr Jhorar, Assistant Professor of Agrometeorology, is a recipient of the Jawaharlal Nehru Award and the Pesticides India Award.

Dr Sokhi, Additional Director of Extension Education, who is a Pesticides India Awardee, has also been a visiting scientist to countries like France, South Korea and Senegal.

Genes of contention

By Dinesh Kumar

BIOTECHNOLOGY is often recognised as the final frontier for mankind. It gives man the power to play God: today, crops are being engineered to contain genes that make them faster growing and healthier; a gene can be tinkered to make them rot slower, making them longer shelf life. Animals have been cloned and there have been reports that a scientist, Dr Seed, wants to clone humans as well. The human genome project has identified genes that cause ageing or certain diseases. Theoretically, it is possible to remove or alter those genes to get rid of natural processes or hereditary attributes.

These possibilities are dramatic no doubt, but an equally great promise lies in agriculture. Biotechnology is now seen as the basis for the second green revolution since it can enhance crops and thereby increase food production. Take a look at the dramatic developments taking place.

In Malaysia, varieties are being developed of acacia and eucalyptus that can be logged in five to eight years, compared to 15-20 years that it takes now. Maturing of teak has already been reduced from 20 to 15 years.

In China, scientists were able to isolate the protein that exists in the Arctic fish and inserted it into beet DNA. The vegetable can now grow even when temperatures fall to minus 6°C.

At the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, a gene from an African variety has been introduced into high-yield varieties which makes the plant resistant to a fungus disease. Such engineered crops are the hopes of the future as agricultural growth has stagnated in most parts of the world. Countries like India and China, which have large populations to feed, see hopes in the new varieties.

Ironically, while the new technology holds the key to feed millions around the globe, commercial interests are ensuring that the technology remains in the control of rich nations. Grains dubbed "terminator seeds" pose the very real danger that farmers will not be able to grow their crops: the seeds are without the genes that make the plant reproduce themselves. If you plant such seeds, you will get a very healthy plant but it will never produce grain. Farmers will have to pay exorbitant prices for seeds that can reproduce. These will be protected by patents and people will not have the right to plant at will. The farmers of India, who have worked hard for years to achieve food independence, will be let down as they will have to pay royalties for growing the crops that they have been growing for ages.

There is understandably a rush patent genes, particularly from the Third World countries. India was successful in challenging the patent granted for "haldi" but has lost out in many other crops. For instance, genetically engineered varieties of crops like rice, cotton, soyabean, cauliflower and cabbage, have been patented. Neem has been patented by a US company. Many of the 26 indigenous varieties of Indian cattle are the property of western countries. Kerala’s vechur, the world’s smallest cattle which requires just 1.5 kg of feed per day, has been patented in the UK.

The country has still not woken up to the severe problem it faces. It has exploded nuclear bombs because it did not want the world to be divided into nuclear haves and have-nots, but has done nothing to escape from becoming a biotechnology have-not, which will make it dependent on other nations for its food requirements. It plans to introduce a bill in Parliament which proposes to create a bureaucracy in the form of committees at the state and village levels, besides state biodiversity boards and a national biodiversity authority. It is a typical Indian response which will end up doing nothing. Contrast this with the approach of the Philippines: it has recently cancelled all deals giving multinationals the right to isolate and patent genetic material. Companies cannot look for genetic material without a government permit and without obtaining the consent of affected communities in whose lands the material is found.

The country indeed faces a challenge ahead. Unfortunately, interest in such pressing issues is lacking in the country. Science courses are increasingly becoming less popular as there are lack of opportunities. China has responded to the threat from the West: it has 15,000 training institutes for patents, compared to none in India. The country has already drawn some 80,000 patents compared to just 3,500 by India. Many science graduates in India have no idea about how patents work and even what they are all about. This lack of knowledge will, undoubtedly, cost the nation dearly. It will push us into a second colonialism and dependence.

If India does not to do something about the patenting regime and first to protect its biodiversity, it is going to affect severely our right to grow food and raise cattle. That is too great a threat but the response so far has been weak.

HNew wheat varieties

THE Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has made certain suggestions for wheat farmers to get better crop production during the just-beginning rabi season.

Accordingly, farmers in the north-western wheat region are advised to replace the rust susceptible variety HD-2329 with PBW-343, WH-542 and UP-2338. These new varieties yield six to 6.5 tonnes of wheat per hectare and have a 130-140 days growth period, according to ICAR’s Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR).

Raised bed sowing has also been advised for these varieties to economise on seed, fertiliser and water.

For late sowing in the North-West, the varieties like Raj-3765 and PBW-373 are suggested. The new zero-tilling technology is found to be useful as it could facilitate sowing of wheat at least eight to 10 days earlier.

For the north-eastern plains zone, the new varieties like HUW-468 and NW-1012 for timely sown irrigated condition, NW-1024 for late sown irrigated condition and K-9465 for rainfed condition are recommended. The use of nenatode gall free seed is pointed out to be useful for keeping the ear cockle disease under check.

For Central India, replacement of old and susceptible varieties with new resistant varieties like GW-273, HI-8498 (durum), HI-8381 (durum), GW-190 and DL-803 are recommended to avoid any leaf and stem rust disease problems. The GW-173 and DL-788-2 varieties for late sown conditions and JWS-17 and HW-2004 for rainfed conditions are also recommended. — UNI

Farm operations for November

Wheat

— Sowing of long-duration varieties of wheat like PBW-343, WH-542, PDW-233, PBW-34 and PBW-154 should be completed up to the third week of November, respectively. After this period, prefer PBW-373, Raj-3765, and PBW-138. Under rainfed conditions grow PBW-299 and PBW-175.

— Drill 55 kg of DAP and 35 kg of urea or 55 kg of urea and 155 kg of superphosphate per acre at the time of sowing. Urea can also be applied before ‘rauni’ irrigation. Muriate of potash at 20 kg per acre may be applied in soils testing low in available potash. But in the districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Ropar, 40 kg muriate of potash need to be applied. The urea dose may be reduced by one-fourth if it follows legume fodder.

— To rainfed wheat 70 kg of urea, 100 kg of single superphosphate and 16 kg muriate of potash per acre may be drilled at the time of sowing in medium to high moisture storage capacity soil (sandy loam and finer soils). In loamy sand soil (low moisture storage capacity), the fertilisers dose may be reduced to half.

— In the recently reclaimed salt-affected soils, the urea dose may be increased by 25 per cent.

— In case zinc sulphate has not been applied to the previous crop of rice or maize, a dose of 25 kg zinc sulphate per acre may be applied at the time of sowing.

— For the control of loose smut of wheat, treat the seed of all wheat varieties except that of PDW-233, PBW-34 and TL-1210 with Vitavax at 2g/kg or Bavistin/Agrozim/ Derosal/J.K. Stein/Sten 50 at 2.5 g/kg seed and for the control of root rot, foot rot, seedling blight, black tip and black spot of glumes, treat the seed with Captan or Thiram at 3g/kg seed. Captan and Thiram treatment should not be done earlier than one month of sowing as it affects seed germination.

— For the control of mamni, put the seed in ordinary water and agitate vigorously. The galls will float on the surface. These may be removed with sieve and burnt. Dry the seed and use for sowing. The problem of mamni is spreading in Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot and Sangrur districts.

— To control flat smut, treat the seed before sowing with Thiram at 3 g/kg seed or Vitavax at 2 g/kg seed or Bavistin/Agrozim/Derosal/J.K. Stein at 2.5 g/kg seed.

— Yellow and brown rust: grow rust resistant varieties like PBW-343, WH-542, PBW-34 under normal sowing conditions and PBW-373 and Raj-3675 under the late sown conditions.

— Termite is a serious pest of wheat, particularly in rainfed area. Before sowing, seed must be treated with Chlorpyriphos (Dursban/ Ruban/Dermet 20 EC). Dilute 160 ml of any of these insecticide in one litre of water and spray on one acre seed (40 kg) spread on the ground in the thin later.

Sugarcane

— Irrigate the crop at monthly interval. Start crushing/harvesting of early maturing varieties like COJ-64, COJ-83 and COP-211.

— In case the attack of sugarcane pyrilla and white fly persists, spray the crop with 3 kg BHC 50 WP or 500 ml Thiodan 35 EC or 350 ml Folithion/Sumithion/Acothion 50 EC in 150 litres of water per acre.

(Progressive Farming, PAU)