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| AGRICULTURE TRIBUNE | Monday,
October 2, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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Punjabi farm labour in the
wilderness Silent killer of sal trees in Himachal |
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PAU research project
abandoned RESEARCH on eight horticulture projects conducted at a cost of Rs 1.44 crore at Punjab
Agricultural University, Ludhiana, was abandoned as the trees on which the research was being carried out were uprooted. The Horticulture Department had been maintaining orchards the PAU complex for conducting research relating to mango, pear, lemon, guava, loquat, jamuan, papaya, know and other fruit trees under the fruit research scheme. Notwithstanding the fact that research under eight projects was continuing on the standing trees, the PAU transferred in August, 1996, 24
orchards to the Plant Breeding Department which uprooted the fruit trees in June and December, 1997, without concluding the ongoing experiments. As a result of this, the expenditure of Rs 1.33 crore incurred on the projects went waste. Besides, the horticulturists of the state were also deprived of the likely benefits of research as the fruit trees grown in new orchards would take years to mature for research. On being pointed out by the audit, the PAU stated that the uprooted orchards being more than 30 years old had become senile and there was also the problem of trespassing as this a area was surrounded by buildings on three sides. The reply was considered by the CAG in its report in March, 1998, tenable because by transferring the area from horticulture to the Plant Breeding Department, the problem of trespassing would not cease and progress reports (1996-97) of orchards did not make any mention of their becoming senile at any stage. During 1992-97, 131 research schemes were completed by the PAU but patent was not obtained in any case. There was also no monitoring system with the PAU to watch whether laboratory findings were transferred to field for their wider application for the benefit of society. According to the audit report, records of 15 research schemes financed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research completed at a cost of Rs 59.48 lakh were test-checked in six departments of two colleges. While in four cases, the final reports, though overdue for the past five to 35 months had not been submitted to the funding agency, in 11 other cases the final reports were submitted to the sponsors after delays ranging between five and 25 months. In the case of eight schemes (out of 11) the PAU was not aware of the reaction of the sponsors to the research finding of the completed schemes nor was there any record to verify if the results were utilised by the sponsors. In one case of agro-forestry scheme, the sponsor had not accepted the research findings on the plea that the research required to be conducted with trees in crops had actually been carried out with trees only. Further clarifications asked
(February, 1997) by the sponsor (ICAR) were not sent by the PAU after a lapse of one year (March, 1998 which were yet to be finally accepted by the ICAR. The PAU received Rs 15.80 lakh from the Department of Horticulture, Punjab, in November, 1995, for establishing a tissue-culture laboratory in the PAU by March, 1996, with the object of production of 1.50 lakh virus-free nursery plants. The scheme contained a provision of Rs 4 lakh for construction of a green house. The research wing of the PAU deposited Rs 5.40 lakh in April, 1996 (Rs 4 lakh), and May, 1997 (Rs 1.40 lakh), with the engineering wing for the construction of the green house and purchase of four airconditioners. Though an expenditure of Rs 10.20 lakh had been incurred on this scheme up to March, 1998, for the purchase of equipment/instruments, chemicals and airconditioners, the work on construction of the green house was not completed. The delay in the completion of the construction of the green house not only resulted in blocking of Rs 10.20 lakh spent on the scheme but the horticulturists were deprived of virus-free nursery plants. The PAU submitted a proposal for establishing a fishery research farm at a cost of Rs 13.78 lakh to the ICAR in January, 1995, which included a chinese-type hatchery and field laboratory. Against this, the ICAR provided Rs 5.24 lakh in June, 1995, and clarified that the remaining cost was to be met out of the PU funds. During audit it was
noticed that after the circular tank was constructed at a cost of Rs 5.24 lakh (March, 1997), the PAU did not release its own share of funds as a result of which the overhead tank and separate tubewell for filling the tank with water had not been constructed as of March, 1998. This not only rendered the constructed circular tank idle but also not deprived the beneficiaries of the results of research on fishery. With a view to meeting the increased requirement of bio-agents, the state government, under the integrated pest management programme released (February, 1994) Rs 25.65 lakh for setting up a biological laboratory at Ludhiana for carrying out extensive field trials with bio-agents at farmers’ fields. The scheme contained a provision of Rs 5 lakh for the construction of screen houses (as a component of laboratory) to be completed by March, 1995. It was noticed that though an expenditure of Rs 30.16 lakh (1994-95 Rs 24.17 lakh and 1995-96 Rs 5.99 lakh) had been incurred by March, 1996, the insect rearing laboratory had not been set up (March, 1998) as the construction of the screen houses had not been completed. Thus, the objective of the scheme could not be achieved. |
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Punjabi farm labour in the
wilderness THE use of combine harvesters for harvesting the wheat and paddy crop, an increasing flow of migrant labour and dependence of farmers on pesticides have gradually driven Punjabi labourers out of business and their wards out of schools and colleges in the state in general and the Doaba region in particular. Hard-pressed between rising unemployment and shooting cost of living, hardly any Punjabi labourer prefers to send his children to school, rather he uses them to supplement his income by doing some manual labour like sowing and harvesting of potato crop, for the production of which the Doaba region is known all over the country. Sowing and harvesting of the potato crop has become Punjabi farmers’ sole source for meeting both ends since his role in agriculture has been curtailed by the use of machinery by farmers and usurping of farm jobs by migrant labourers. During a tour of different parts of the Doaba region, it was found that only a negligible number of Punjabi labourers send their children to schools. “Actually, we have virtually been rendered jobless by farmers preferring to use combine harvesters for paddy or wheat harvesting for that is more economical for them. Whatever work had been left had been grabbed by migrant labour who work at half rates than us,” said Lal Singh, a labourer of Udhowal village, near Nakodar. As he could not find work for him for seven months last year, he could not even think of sending his nine-year-old son to school.” Tarsem Peter, a resident of the same village and secretary of the Punjab Pendu Mazdoor Sabha, Punjab, said it was disturbing to note that where 10 to 12 wards of Punjabi labourers of his village studied in different schools and colleges in early nineties, none of them did so these days. “An utter sense of despair is prevailing among them and they think it is fruitless to send children to school,” he said, adding that 70 per cent of the children of Punjabi labourers leave school at the primary level. Nearly 80 per cent of farm operations were being done by farmers with the help of migrant labourers. He said the situation was so grim that some of the labourers had even committed suicide, “ Peter claimed. Karam Singh of Jamsher village was more vocal and saw harvesting combines, migrant labour and pesticides as the biggest enemies of his tribe, even as he realised that these were cheaper alternatives for farmers. “It has been the harvesting combines which have harmed us the most. Ninety per cent of the farmers don’t involve us in the harvesting process since they think the use of combines was cheaper and time saving. A combine harvests one acre in about half an hour and at a cost of Rs 400 to Rs 450, whereas a group of seven or eight labourers take a full day to do the same with double cost of about Rs 700 to Rs 750. We realise the utility of machinery, but it has severed our link with the land which we had been tending for decades,” he lamented. Karam Singh said before introduction of combines, labourers used to get full year’s kitty of foodgrain. He said earlier farmers used to employ them for removing weeds from paddy or wheat fields, but these days pesticides and weedicides have taken over. Kaila Singh, a farmer working with a farmer at Bariana village in Hoshiarpur district, said the Punjabi farmer had been left in the wilderness since almost the entire farm operations have been grabbed by migrant labourers, who, of late, have also started making inroads into other fields like masonry and wood work. |
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Silent killer of sal trees in Himachal THE historic sal forests of Himachal Pradesh are currently under threat by the traditional silent killer insect, popularly known as sal borer (hoplocerambix spinicornis). It kills trees silently with only visible indications of saw dust collected at the stumps of the trees and also slow withering of the branches from the top of the tree. Within a short time the entire tree gets dried up. The Forest Department is making every effort to check the menace. Sal forests in India occupy about 1,05,790 sq km in two distinct regions — northern and central regions separated by Gangetic plains. Of these, North India occupies about 6,080 sq km which is spread over three states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Himachal consists of the most part of the sal forests in North India. The Paonta Forest Division, which touches the boundaries of UP on the right bank of the Yamuna, supports 50 per cent of Himachal sal forests spread over 160 sq km area. The valley, which supports these valuable forests known for its timber value in the Paonta valley, is called Kiarda Doon. The history of attack by the silent killer in the Paonta valley dates back to 1949 when these forests, particularly Reserve Forests Gorakhpur and Jamniwala were attacked. About 2,225 trees were killed by this insect during 1950-51 as per the report of the task force committee of forest experts. Though the sal borer is endemic to every sal forest, the attack in the Paonta forest division was first noticed by Mr A.R.M. Reddy, Divisional Forest Officer, Paonta, in December, 1997. In 1997-98, 40 infested trees were detected, in 1998-99, 276 infested trees were detected and beetles on 756 trees were trapped to control the attack and in 1999-2000, 1,376 sal trees were found infested, 3,424 trees were saved by trapping the beetles and 1,376 infested and dried trees were felled to control the attack. Mr Reddy said that the enumeration of trees was carried out in December, 1999, and permission to fell these were received last month, “we have already removed 90 per cent of the trees attacked by the insect”, he said. When asked about the details of the insect, Mr Reddy said the insect was popularly known as “golua” among the local people and was dark black to brown in colour with a length of 3 to 6 cm and lived on the sap of the sal trees for a very short period ranging from 38 to 49 days. Mr Reddy said that the beetles emerged with the first monsoon shower in June or July and the insects were manually trapped in the monsoon by laying traps after felling green trees and they were killed. Mr Reddy disclosed that there were only 1,690 less infected trees which were not felled and which were likely to recover from the attack of insect in the next year. |
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Farm operations for October Sugarcane Wheat Loose smut: Threat the seed of all wheat varieties except that of PBW-138, PDW-233 and PBW-34 with Vitavax @ 2g/kg or Bavisting/ Agrozim/Derosal/J.K. Stein/Stein/Sten 50 @ 2.5 g/kg seed for the control of loose smut. Treat the seed with Captan or thiram @ 3 g/kg for the control of root rot, seedling blight, black tip and black spot of glumes. Captan and Thiram treatment should not be done earlier than one month of sowing as it affects seed germination. Mamni: In Bathinda, the disease needs to be controlled. The disease is not soil-borne. the infection starts from the galls mixed in the seed at the time of sowing. To separate the galls, put the seed in ordinary water and agitate vigorously. The galls will float on the water surface. These may be removed with sieve and burnt. Flat smut: To control flag smut, treat the seed before sowing with Thiram @ 3 g/kg or before sowing Vitavax @ 2g or Bavistin @2.5 g/kg of seed. In rainfed areas the wheat varieties, PBW-396, PBW-299 and PBW-175, should be sown after applying 70 kg of urea, 100 kg of superphosphate and 20 kg of murriate of potash per acre in sandy loam or heavier soils. In light-textured soils 30 kg of urea, 50 kg of superphosphate and 10 kg of muriate of potash may be drilled. In irrigated areas of the state in the absence of soil test the wheat crop requires 110 kg of urea, 155 kg of superphosphate and 20 kg of muriate of potash/acre during the life span. If 55 kg of DAP/acre is used as a source of phosphorus then reduce the dose of urea by 20 kg/acre. Nirtophosphate (20:20:0) @ 125 kg/acre can also be used in wheat. If 125 kg/acre nitrophosphate is used then reduced the dose of urea by 45 kg/acre. Pulses The best time of sowing kabuli gram (L-550) in the state, except humid areas of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Ropar, is October 25 to November 10 under irrigated conditions. Treat the seed with Bavistin plus Thiram (1:1) 3 g or Hexacap 3 g or Rovral 2.5 g or Captan/Captaf 3 g per kg of seed for the control of blight. grow C-235 or PBG-1 in disease-prone areas. At the time of sowing, drill 50 kg of superphosphate and 13 kg of urea per acre but in case of kabuli gram, drill 100 kg of superphosphate/acre. Lentil: Use the LL-147/L-9-12 or LL-56 varieties and start sowing from the end of October. Inoculation of seed with Rhizobium culture ensures a higher yield. Drill 11 kg of urea and 50 kg of superphosphate/acre in case of inoculated seed, otherwise double the dose of superphosphate at the time of sowing. Oilseeds Drill 45 kg of urea and 75 kg of single superphosphate per acre before sowing of raya and gobhi
sarson. However, in gobhi sarson on light-textured soils, increase the dose of urea of 65 kg per acre. Sometimes hairy
caterpillars becomes a serious pest on toria. For its control, apply Malathion dust @ 15 kg per acre of by spraying with 500 ml of Thiodan 35 EC or 200 ml of Nuvan 40 EC in 125 litres of water. — Progressive Farming, PAU |
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