TAD NewsDesk, Ludhiana: Punjab’s water crisis can be solved by DSR (Direct Seeding of Rice) as per a declaration of the World Food Prize Laureate, Dr. Gurudev Khush, who is also a renowned rice-breeder. Technology can provoke a revolution in Punjab; he stayed on Wednesday.
“I am delighted to see the progress of DSR technology in Punjab. The technology, which can cut down water use, is the solution to the problem of water crisis in the state. It can bring a revolution in water saving,” asserted Dr. Khush.
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant boost in the number of farmers adopting the DSR technique instead of the manual sowing method, due to the deficit of agricultural workers and laborers.
As reported, 5.19 lakh hectares (12.82 lakh acres) area was sown using the DSR technique in this Kharif season. In comparison, only 3.87 lakh hectares (9.55 lakh acres) were under the DSR planted area from 2010 to 2019.
The recently conducted international webinar by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project’s aegis facilitated the dialogue about rice cultivation history.
Dr. Khush was seen as an eminent speaker in the session. He elaborated on the theme of “Challenges and Opportunities of Adopting Direct Seeded Rice.”
“Rice started as an upland crop followed by puddling and transplanting (about 7,000 years ago). Few innovations came after Second World War. Slowly, it started becoming an important crop and the whole culture changed. Two crop system of paddy-wheat was introduced, which improved the living standards of the people of Punjab and led to their prosperity,” he stated in the session.
The US settled Dr. Khush further said, “California culture is all about direct sowing. The DSR technology saves labour cost, reduces the growth duration and improves crop population.”
Adding to that, PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr. Baldev Singh Dhillon said, “Rice is a staple food for a large population. Its cultivation was started to meet the food security needs of the country. With declining water resources being a major concern, the PAU came up with improved varieties (early maturing varieties PR 121, PR 126 and many others) and technology (DSR), which save water, improve soil quality and lead to increased yield.”
While during a presentation, Dr. MS Bhullar, Head of Agronomy, proclaimed that Punjab saw its agro-tech peak in 2015, starting from 2010. The initial cultivation issue was found to be in unsustainable soil, weed problem, and varieties.
Interventions were made at the DSR introduction levels for suitable areas, weed control, the recommendation of machinery (lucky seed drill), and the addition of crop varieties, he said. He added that this proved to be immensely profitable for farmers of Punjab.
25% of the area under rice cultivation in Punjab is currently under DSR while mentioning the recent introduction of the ‘Tar Wattar DSR” technology introduction this year.
The DSR technology is cost-efficient as it cuts labor and water costs, replenishes groundwater, produces a higher yield of the next wheat crop. Further, it provides a broader window for crop residue management, he added.
The Deputy Director General (Education, Indian Council of Agricultural Research) was in praise of PAU for producing the renowned World Food Prize Laureates Dr. GS Khush (1996) and Dr. Rattan Lal (2020)
Various progressive farmers lauded the “PR” varieties developed by PAU and introduced the lucky seed drill machine (with press wheel attachment). The latest technological advancements have flourished the agricultural yields, have resulted in the incredible growth of the crop, significant weed control, and a reduction in the emergence of diseases.
The webinar also saw Progressive farmers like Palwinder Singh (village Baraunga), Gurpreet Singh (village Mehraj), Amreet Singh Dhillion (village Ghungrana), Ravinder Singh (village Badhni Gulab Singh), and Jodhbir Shergill (district Sangrur) participating in the webinar.
Many experts have welcomed the latest addition of the DSR technique. Like the Green and White revolution had dressed India in a luscious viridescent harvest, this step can further take the nation up the agricultural progression ladder.
Congratulations to Punjab on inspiring a constructive ‘technology meets agriculture’ model for the country. The state of five rivers has forever proved to utilize the blessed agricultural resource affluence extensively. This agriculture model can succor the agricultural squalor of the other Indian states and meet the food and nutritional needs of the population by doubling the harvest at affordable costs, if implied precisely.
