PAU MAKING EFFORTS TO CURB WHITEFLY MENACE: DR B.S. DHILLON

Bathinda,:The Kisan Mela of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) at its Regional Research Station, Bathinda was a big success and hit with the farming community today. Mammoth gathering of farmers, farm women and young girls was seen at the mela, who evinced keen interest in purchasing seed of new crop varieties for coming Kharif season, and learning about latest agricultural technologies and household management practices. PAU farm literature was also in great demand among the visitors. Based on the theme “Kheti melain de rang, sudhere beej, machinery, kitaban de sang,” mela emphasized on the use of improved seeds, optimal use of farm machinery and reading of farm literature for updating the farm knowledge.
Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, while inaugurating the mela, expressed happiness over large turnout of farmers in the mela. He said that PAU has been successful in controlling yellow rust of wheat and is hopeful of gaining success in curbing whitefly menace in cotton. A team of PAU experts was making all-out efforts to control whitefly in cotton, by spreading awareness through University farm literature, CDs and print and electronic media, he said. Dr Dhillon also stressed on collective efforts of the farmers in this direction and emphasized on timely management of whitefly to check its further spread to other fields. Further, Dr Dhillon appealed the farmers not to make use of un-recommended cotton varieties and pesticides and follow PAU recommendations from time to time for getting good yield and better returns. He also underlined the need for balanced use of fertilizers and judicious use of pesticides. Dr Dhillon further informed about the newly released varieties of kharif crops namely LD 949 of desi cotton, ML 2056 of mungbean and PBN 346 of napier bajra.
Smt. Karamjit Kaur Dhanewalia, Member, PAU Board of Management, who was a special guest, said that enthusiastic participation of women in the mela shows their keen interest in agriculture and allied enterprises. Women, if involved in agriculture activities, can contribute to the socio-economic upliftment of their families.
Presenting the research highlights of PAU, Dr Balwinder Singh, Director of Research, PAU said that in view of climate change and depleting water resources, University was developing new crop varieties with focus on better yield, less water and fertilizers requirement and resistant to various insect-pests and diseases. He called upon the farmers to go for seed of new crop varieties, try new agricultural technologies and give feedback for reprioritization of PAU research programmes. He also shed light on crop production-protection technologies. Dr R.S. Sidhu, Director of Extension Education, PAU said, “The large footfall of farmers at the Kisan Mela is a testimony of the Mela’s success and faith, reposed by the farmers in PAU evolved techniques and technologies. Stating that there was a lot of enthusiasm among the farmers, he disclosed “that seed of desi cotton was selling like hot cakes during the mela.
While sharing his experiences, a farmer S. Baljinder Singh said that he has been regularly visiting this mela for the last many years. He told that Changi Kheti, a monthly farm magazine of PAU; Package of Practices for Kharif and Rabi Crops, another PAU farm literature; and new agricultural machinery and technologies were the major highlights of this mela.Participating farmers visited different stalls of PAU departments, saw field demonstrations, discussed their agriculture issues with the experts and sought solutions for the same.