Water-guzzler crops emptying aquifer; farm experts worried
CHANDIGARH : With subsoil water fast depleting in Punjab – the grain bowl of the country, and water-guzzler paddy grown over 30 lakh hectares in summer (kharif season) seen as the main culprit, it’s time to re-look at the water-guzzler varieties sown over decades.
As per the data of commission for agricultural costs and prices (CACP) that annually fixes the minimum support prices on crops grown in the country including paddy, a kg of rice consumes 3,367 litres of water, emptying the state aquifer and heading towards a desert-like situation.
“The issue needs attention otherwise it will not be the same Punjab. Farmers will perish in a few years from now as in the absence of water no crop can grow here,” said former vicechancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, BS Dhillon. He recommended a new look to paddy varieties, accepting that the PAU had done a lot and a lot more needs to be done.
“The situation is alarming in the state as far as groundwater levels are concerned because barring three districts – Gurdaspur, Muktsar and Pathankot
-- all districts are overexploited and witnessing a fall in levels more than recharge and as per an average the fall is at least 50 centimetres. In some areas, it is one than a metre every year,” said Gopal Krishan, a scientist in National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee.
Central Punjab is the worst-affected, and out of total 138 blocks in the state, 109 have turned black zones.
Rice breeder GS Khush, an alumnus of the PAU and based in the USA, had also raised concern over the paddy scenario in Punjab, recommending no free power to 14 lakh agriculture tubewells in the state.
The state has pushed paddy sowing to June 15, making a law that it would not be allowed before that. Experts, however, say it should be postponed further to June 30 or even the first week of July.
Referring to PUSA44 variety, Dhillon said such varieties which have a growth period of 162 days should be stopped immediately and the seeds should be destroyed. Paddy being a self-pollinating crop, farmers can use the same variety for many years.
“We need to change this tendency. Paddy growers should mix varieties from season to season so that there is no disease,” suggested Gurjeet Singh Mangat, a rice breeder working as an additional director in the PAU’S research crop improvement department.
He said PUSA44 variety is grown over 20 per cent area in the state, which takes at least 162 days to mature, including the time to prepare the nursery. The variety is grown in Moga, Barnala, Sangrur and Ludhiana. These varieties are sown in the peak summer when evaporation is maximum and water consumption increases by 40 per cent.
“The challenge for paddy researchers is to look for varieties that could be sown in July when the monsoons arrive,” said Mangat, referring to a new variety PR 130, a cross breed of PR 121 with HKR 47.
“It is mid-maturing, lodging tolerant, bacterial blight resistant variety with better milling quality characteristics. It matures in about 105 days after transplant. It possesses long grains and is resistant to pest attack, with an average paddy yield of 30 quintals per acre,” said Mangat, adding that the challenge for the PAU is to bring new varieties having a crop tenure of 90 days.
Mangat suggested that varieties such as Yellow PUSA which takes more than five months to mature and are not approved by any agency of a agricultural institute should be banned.
“At present, long-duration varieties are sown over onethird of the total area under paddy cultivation in the state. We need short-duration varieties and have to start paddy sowing from June 30,” said Devinder Sharma, a food policy analyst. According to him, the yield has to be sacrificed to save water and the state need varieties of 90 days’ duration. “The state should pay for the loss of yield,” he added.