Experts flag excessive use of chemicals in spring maize crop

Balwant Garg

Faridkot, June 23

A noticeable surge in sowing of 80-day spring maize crop before the transplantation of basmati seedlings in the area has become a cause for concern for the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department.

Reason: Spring maize used as fodder contains high content of chemicals and fertilisers, besides being a water-guzzling crop.

For the last four to five years, massive increase has been witnessed in maize silage, preserved by anaerobic (without oxygen) fermentation. This process uses bacteria to convert soluble carbohydrates into acetic and lactic acid, which “pickles” the crop to be used as fodder.

Experts said, “To get high yield within a limited period (75-80 days), farmers are using urea and DAP excessively. Growers are indiscriminately using pesticides to save the crop from pests and insects.”

“As chopped crop is compressed and packed in silage bales, the high content of fertilisers and pesticides leads to increased chemical intake by animals through fodder,” said experts.

Faridkot Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Karanjeet Singh said, “Excessive use of fertilisers in this crop does not make it a perfect crop to feed dairy animals. The leaching of fertilisers will further contaminate the groundwater.”

A senior official of the Animal Husbandry Department said, “More and more farmers are adopting this method. It will increase chemical residues in milk.”