Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur
Paddy straw, often burnt by farmers after harvesting, can prove to be a valuable resource for the next crop. Demonstrating this, the Punjab Agricultural University’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Ferozepur, is promoting the use of crop residue as mulch in vegetable cultivation, particularly garlic, to discourage stubble burning while improving soil health and crop productivity.
Under the Khet Bachao Abhiyan, the KVK team organised an awareness camp for farmers from Wara Kali Raun, Mahlewala, Laluwala and Khiali villages. The farmers were educated about the benefits of using paddy straw as mulch and the need for regular soil and water testing.
Dr Gurmail Singh, Deputy Director (Training), KVK, said paddy straw spread over fields gradually decomposed and added to soil fertility. Its use helped farmers manage crop residue within their fields instead of setting it on fire, while also contributing to environmental protection and better soil health.
Explaining the technical aspects, Dr BS Sekhon, Assistant Professor (Vegetable Science), said a uniform layer of 25 quintals of dry paddy straw per acre should be spread immediately after sowing garlic. The layer checks weed growth, conserves soil moisture and keeps the soil loose, thereby supporting better crop production.
He said the same quantity of straw could also be used in potato, chilli and okra cultivation, while turmeric required 25 to 36 quintals per acre. Besides reducing weed growth, mulching helped farmers manage irrigation and fertiliser requirements more effectively.
An important aspect of the technique is that the straw generated from one acre of paddy cultivation can be utilised in one acre of garlic cultivation, offering a practical solution for in-situ crop residue management.
The KVK team also visited the garlic field of progressive farmer Gurcharan Singh at Wara Kali Raun, where the technique was being practised. Fields belonging to Lakhwinder Singh of Mahlewala and Paramjit Singh of Khanna village were also inspected.
Farmers shared that mulching had helped improve crop yield and reduced the expenditure on hoeing and weeding. They also advised fellow farmers to adopt the practice.
Deepak Kumar, Programme Assistant, Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, stressed the importance of applying balanced fertilisers based on soil and water test reports. He also briefed farmers on managing paddy straw during wheat sowing with the help of Super Seeder, Smart Seeder, Surface Seeder, mulcher and plough.
Punjab
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