The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Training course on latest production technology
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 29
The Directorate of Extension Education, PAU, Ludhiana organised a three- day training course on latest production technology of winter vegetables from that concluded today.

In the training course, the chief guest Dr A S Sidhu, Head, Department of Vegetable Crops advised the HDOs to communicate maximum technical guidance of vegetables to the farmers so that they can increase the area under vegetables, earn more per unit area and time and bring diversification in agriculture.

Dr Tarsem Singh Dhillon, Technical Coordinator, said that all the lectures were delivered on latest production technology of all vegetables such as potatoes, peas, onion, garlic, root crops and leafy vegetables. Moreover, all officers were made aware regarding the production of capricum, tomato and brinjal free from insecticides residue for domestic as well as international market. All these vegetables can be grown at the home level.

A field visit of participants was conducted on vegetable research farm to show the demonstrations and to plant disease clinic of vegetables in order to identify the symptoms of different diseases of the vegetable crops.

Meanwhile the Training Unit of college of Agricultural Engineering, PAU, Ludhiana in collaboration with Deptt of Farm Power and Machinery also organised a three-day course on “Plant protection equipment.” Twenty one staff members from Department of Agriculture, Punjab attended this course. The training was imparted on the operation, care/maintenance, operational cost, management and safety measures for use of plant protection equipment. a visit was conducted to the manufacturer of agricultural sprayers and dusters. a field demonstration of some latest plant protection equipment, developed by PAU and other latest farm machines like vegetable seedling transplanter, multicrop drill cum planter, bailer, maize dehusker cum thresher, farm yard manure spreader, manual garlic planter, post hole digger and thresher for pulses was also conducted.

Dr S K Sondhi, Dean, college of Agricultural Engineering, PAU, Ludhiana while addressing the trainees asked them to advise the farmers for judicious use of machinery so that operational cost can be reduced. He told that in Punjab a large number of cooperative societies have purchased farm equipments which they lend to the farmers on hire. This eliminates the purchase of the costly farm equipment by the farmers themselves. This has become necessary as land holdings are very small in Punjab. Some progressive farmers have formed their own cooperative societies to purchase these costly equipments for sharing in addition to give it on hire on reasonable charges. Prof Kirpal Singh Saini, Incharge-Training Unit and coordinator of the course gave the details of various training programmes organised by Training Unit for officers/field staff/farmers.

PAU teachers get award
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 29
Dr Vinita Kaushal, Dr S. Sharma and Dr Giridhar Soni (Department of Biochemistry) and Dr A P S Brar (Department of Vety pathology) were selected for R.L Shad Award for their paper “Impact of antioxidants on N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-Induced Biochemical Toxiocity in Rats.” They have been invited to receive the award at the time of inaugural function of society of Toxicology (STOX ) to be held in Thiruvananthapuram today.

Present study reports the importance of exogenous antioxidants e.g. Vitamin C and E numbers in nutralizing the NDEA induced oxidative stress. NDEA has been widely reported in various food stuffs such as milk and meat products, soft drinks, cosmetics and alcoholic beverages. It causes a number of biochemical and toxicological effects through induced oxidative stress.

From Schools & Colleges
Students examined at medical camp
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 30
A medical check up camp was held at Guru Gobind Singh Public School, here on Saturday. Three hundred students were examined on the occasion. Incidence of dental problem, anaemia, myopia, nutritional deficiency and patricia alba were detected and accordingly treatment was given.

Mehndi competition: On the eve of Karva Chauth Shanti Niketan Adarsh Vidalaya, Benjamin Road, organised a mehndi competition. Students were divided into two groups. Group A comprised classes IX, X and XI and group B classes VI to VIII. The results are as follows:

Group A: Heena 1, Jasbir 2.

Group B: Preeti 1, Priya 2 and Malkeet 3.

Ms Beena and Ms Sunita Nauhria were the judges.

Declamation contest: A declamation contest was organised at SDP College here on Friday. The topics were related to Divali. Students presented their views in Hindi and English. Shilpi Gupta was declared the winner. The Principal, Ms Verma, distributed the prizes.

Fancy dress: A fancy dress competition was held at Lord Shiva Playway School here on Saturday. Kartik Grover won the first prize.

Extension lecture: An extension lecture was organised by the Postgraduate Department of Commerce, Arya College, Ludhiana. Prof S.C. Vaidya, professor, University Business School, Panjab University, Chandigarh, delivered a talk on cost management.

He familiarised the students with the need to have a control on the cost which should be achieved not by cutting corners or compromising on quality but by increasing cost effectiveness.

Prof R.L. Behl welcomed Professor Vaidya and the Principal, Dr S.M. Sharma thanked him.

Computer carnival: A cyber quiz as part of the computer carnival is going on at Sacred Heart Convent Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar. Students from class V onwards of 32 schools are participating in the carnival. Sister Maria Lena, principal of the host school, inaugurated the carnival.

Twentyon teams comprising two students each participated. The quiz was conducted by Mr Sanjay Shroff. On Saturday a competition — Cyber Splendour — a painting contest was held.

The results are as follows:

Cyber splendour: Kunal Preet (Sacred Heart Convent School) 1, Jasmeet Kaur (Guru Nanak Public School) 2, Aseem Aggarwal (KVM, Civil Lines) and Darpan Bajaj (Gobindgarh Public School) 3.

Cyber quiz (classes VI to VII): Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School 1 and Tagore Public School 2.

Classes IX to XII: Sacred Heart Convent School 1 and Guru Nank Internation Public School, Ludhiana 2.

Science exhibition: The annual science fair in the memory of Late Beant Singh, former Chief Minister, Punjab, was organised at Everest Public Senior Secondary School here on Saturday. More than 400 students participated in it.

Mr Varinder Sharma was the chief guest.

Scholarship won: Preet Kanwal of Kundan Vidya Mandir has won the National Talent Search Examination scholarship. The scholarship will be available to her up to the doctorate level and the amount will increase depending upon the course she takes up and her performance in exams.