Stakeholders meet on Surface Seeder tech at PAU

Ludhiana, August 12

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) convened a meeting bringing together over 100 stakeholders, including farmers, manufacturers, agriculture department officers and PAU experts, to discuss the performance, issues of and improvements needed for the Surface Seeder technology.

The meeting provided a comprehensive platform to evaluate the current status of the Surface Seeder, a low-cost agricultural innovation designed to enhance wheat cultivation. Discussions focused on its performance, operational challenges and potential improvements.

In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, lauded the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in advancing the technology to benefit farmers. He emphasised the importance of manufacturing machines in strict adherence to PAU’s specifications, offering technical support from the university as needed. Dr Gosal shared his experiences from visiting multiple districts to assess the wheat crop and engage with farmers, noting that those who adopted the Surface Seeder were generally satisfied with its performance. He highlighted the university’s initiative in conducting field visits for senior government officials to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology.

Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education at PAU, announced that the university had already commenced training programmes for trainers who would further instruct operators on the proper use of the Surface Seeder and other straw management machines.

The session featured an interactive discussion moderated by Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research, where farmers mostly praised the technology but also pointed out issues related to machine design deviations from PAU’s specifications and the need for better-trained operators.

Manufacturers expressed concerns about the limited time available for production and the low pricing of the machines, which led to compromises in material quality and design. They urged the government to set the machine’s price at approximately Rs 1.20 lakh, inclusive of taxes and GPS installation, to ensure higher-quality production.

Addressing the concerns, Dr Jaswant Singh, Director of Agriculture, acknowledged the time constraints but assured that efforts would be made to promote the technology among farmers. He also promised to propose a price increase to the ministry concerned to ensure the availability of quality machines and stressed the necessity for manufacturers to adhere strictly to

PAU’s specifications.

Earlier in the meeting, Dr Jasvir Gill, Agronomist, presented data on the performance of surface-seeded wheat across 1,203 acres at 228 locations across Punjab, excluding Pathankot, Ropar, and Mohali. The results indicated that the yield from surface-seeded wheat was comparable to that of conventionally sown wheat, with added benefits such as mulching. — TNS