Ludhiana: Agri varsity experts warn against use of unverified pesticides leading to crop loss

Voicing concern over groundwater depletion, stubble burning and sale of unrecommended pesticides, experts of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) recommended less water-consuming rice varieties in the upcoming Kharif season, adoption of crop residue management technologies, and check the usage of untested and unverified pesticides for the timely saving of water resources as well as environment and to safeguard the interests of the farmers, respectively.

The senior officials, heads of departments and faculty from PAU campus; scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras, farm advisory service centres and regional research stations attended the monthly review meeting of the research and extension work of PAU on Wednesday.

Raising alarm bells regarding depleting underground water table in Punjab, Makhan Singh Bhullar, director of extension education, urged the field level functionaries to motivate farmers to shift to sowing of non-water intensive rice crop varieties, give-up water-gulping spring maize cultivation, and opt for water and labour saving direct seeded rice (DSR) technology. He also advocated crop diversification by going in for alternative crops such as oilseeds, pulses, horticultural crops, etc.

Lamenting the shrinkage of cotton acreage in Punjab from 7 lakh to less than 1 lakhD, Ajmer Singh Dhatt, director of research, made a call for strengthening of pre-sowing management of pink bollworm in cotton. Further, Dhatt pointed out the sale of unapproved weedicides, fungicides and insecticides to the farmers without the recommendation of the University, leading to financial burden and crop loss in Punjab. He disclosed that they have called upon the State government to ban the sale of unauthorised agricultural products for the sustainability of agro-ecosystem.