Progressive farmers show the way
SUCCESS STORIES These sons of the soil have stopped putting a matchstick to paddy stubble and are embracing new techniques and practices. They share how they manage the crop residue, while experts suggest financial support for such farmers
ble burning pollution but also helps in keeping the crop healthy by controlling the temperature, working as a natural fertiliser and keeping insects away. “There are 1,900 happy seeder machines in fields across the state and this year we want to take the number to 7,000 by encouraging farmers to use this technology,” he adds. to move on and prepare the field with two rounds of the rotavator per acre. Later, wheat was sown mixing diammonium phosphate and urea through the Happy Seeder machine,” he says.
The diammonium phosphate and urea help in decomposing the paddy residue. “The best output is achieved by not burning paddy stubble. Compost enhances soil fertility,” he says.
He advises farmers with small landholdings to sow the crop with the Happy Seeder and prepare the field for the next crop with the rotavator. “This process may be costlier initially but it will reduce the consumption of fertilisers by half in three years,” he adds
He says farmer unions often mislead rather than guide farmers on the right way to manage the stubble without burning it. Buoyed by last year’s results, he bought another happy seeder this year with government subsidy. This time, he has sown paddy in 200 acres. “Sowing with happy seeder consumes less water and involves less fuel expenditure,” he says.
Chief agriculture officer Vinay Sharma says 10 farmers of the district who had stopped burning stubble were recently honoured. next crop,” he says.
He tried the method by sowing potatoes in three acres and got good results. “I follow the technique while sowing wheat in the rabi season and vegetables in 40 acres,” he says.
Two of his friends, Navjot Singh and Jaskaran Singh, opted for this process to manage the paddy stubble in 100 acres.
Navjot says the government should ensure farm equipment and subsidies are accessible to farmers every year. “Stubble burning can’t be stopped without government support to farmers for buying machines,” he says.
J askaran says farmers need to be sensitised about the ill-effects of burning and the need to reinvent. “Farmers should be sensitised about the hazards of burning straw,” he says.