RECOMMENDATIONS (2023-24)

CROP IMPROVEMENT

During this period, Punjab Agricultural University released 13 varieties of different crops. These included 9 field crop varieties (2 of wheat, one each of Basmati, chickpea, field pea, bajra, proso millet, maize fodder, and fennel), 2 vegetable crop varieties (one each of muskmelon and watermelon) and 2 of jamun. Three vegetable crop varieties (two of brinjal and one of pumpkin) were notified under Seeds Act, 1966. The details are as follows:

• Field Crops
  1. PBW Zinc 2 (Wheat): It is the second zinc-rich variety released by the PAU. Its grain zinc content surpasses earlier released PBW 1 Zn by 11.6%. Its average grain yield is 23.0 quintals per acre. 
  2. PBW RS 1 (Wheat): This variety abounds in resistant starch (31.3 g/100g) and is the first of its kind in the country. Higher proportion of resistant starch underpins dietary interventions for managing diabetes. Its average grain yield is 17.3 quintals per acre. 
  3. Pusa Basmati 1847: It is a semi-dwarf (108 cm tall) variety and matures in about 99 days after transplanting. It possesses extra-long slender grains which almost get doubled upon cooking. Its average yield is 19.0 quintals per acre.
  4. J 1008 (Fodder maize): It is the first yellow seeded early maturing composite. It hits milking stage earlier (in 73 days) than J 1006 (86 days) and J 1007 (84 days). It is suitable for silage making. Its grains have higher starch, protein and ß-carotene. Its average green fodder yield is 163 quintals per acre and grain yield is 20 quintals per acre. 
  5. PCB 167 (Bajra): This is a medium tall (198 cm) grain-purpose composite variety. The grains are medium-bold and light coloured, and are endowed with better nutritional characteristics, especially crude protein, crude fibre, and resistant starch along with high iron and zinc content. The grains have good popping potential and are thus suitable for value addition. On average, it gives 15.6 quintals per acre of grain yield.
  6. PBG 10 (Desi chickpea): This variety has bold (100-seed weight: 25.9 g) brown coloured seeds and is moderately resistant to Ascochyta Blight and Botrytis grey mould. Its average yield is 8.6 quintals per acre.
  7. IPFD 12-2 (Field Pea): This variety has long pods with medium size grains.  The weight of 100 grains is 15.6 g.  It has very good nutritional (24.5% protein content) and cooking quality. It gives an average grain yield of 6.8 quintals per acre.
  8. Punjab Cheena 1 (Proso Millet): This is a short duration (66 days) variety. It is a good source of proteins (12.2%), resistant starch (20.9%), calcium (40.9 mg/100 g) and iron (4.0 mg/100g). It has low predicted glycemic index and low glycemic load. Average yield is 3.2 quintals per acre. 
  9. Ajmer Fennel 2: This variety takes 170-175 days for maturity. Essential oil content in seeds varies from 1.6-1.8%. Average seed yield is 5.0 quintals per acre. 
• Vegetable Crops
  1. Punjab Mithas (Watermelon): Fruits are medium sized (3.0 to 3.5 kg), elliptical with medium green thick (13-15 mm) rind, have dark green stripes and low seed count (300 seeds per fruit). The flesh is deep red and highly sweet [TSS(total soluble solids: 9-11oBrix)]. Average fruit yield is 179 q/ acre.
  2. Punjab Amrit (Muskmelon): Fruits are oval-round and netted with greenish yellow rind. It does not attain full-slip stage at ripening. The flesh is creamy white, moderately crisp and medium juicy with 14.7% TSS. The fruits have high firmness and long shelf life. Its average fruit yield is 72 q/acre.
• Fruit Crops
  1. Konkan Bahadoli (Jamun): The fruits are dark purple with cream white pulp (78.5% pulp content) and medium sized (average fruit weight: 12.5g). Fruits have 12.6% TSS and 0.75% acidity. The average produce per plant is about 50 kg and is suitable for distant marketing and processing.
  2. Goma Priyanka (Jamun): This mid-season variety has medium-sized pulpy fruits (average fruit weight 10.3 g; 83.5% pulp). The fruits are dark purple, and elliptical-oblong, have 13.6% TSS and 0.71 % acidity.

   

  CROP PRODUCTION

  • Field Crops
  • Some fields under long term rice-wheat sequence have started exhibiting poor infiltration post heavy winter rainfall event. When such waterlogged situations do not permit efficient topdressing of second dose of nitrogen (45 kg urea/acre), 7.5% urea solution (15 kg urea in 200 litres of water) can be applied as foliar spray after about 42 and 54 days after sowing.
  • In the DSR-wheat system, when farmyard manure (FYM) has been added @ 6 ton/acre or sunhemp green-manuring has been practised, nitrogen dose can be cut down to 40 kg/acre. However, when newly recommended summer moong – DSR – wheat system is followed, optimum N dose was found to be 50 kg/acre.
  • In order to realize better yields and fortify barley grains with zinc, soil application of zinc sulphate heptahydrate (21%) @ 10 kg/acre has been recommended. Two foliar applications of zinc sulphate heptahydrate @ 0.5% – first at earing and the second at milking stage – were observed to jack up grain zinc concentration by about 64%. 
  • Rice straw based biogas industry has picked considerable pace in the state owing to the growing imperative of paddy straw management. Fermented organic manure is an important by-product of the industry. It can be used over and above the recommended dose of fertilizers to realize its positive externalities in terms of soil health enhancement. It has been evaluated in maize, potato and summer moong. 
  1. In coarse-textured soils, application of some organic manures – namely, FYM @ 6 ton/acre, poultry manure @ 2.5 ton/acre, press mud @ 6 ton/acre, and rice straw compost @ 2.5 ton/acre – has been recommended in addition to the recommended chemical fertilization. This helps in staving off micronutrient deficiencies and also ensures better yields. 
  2. Seed rate of Berseem has been re-calibrated downward to 8 kg/acre (from the existing 10 kg/acre) for higher fodder yield. New seed rate presents additional advantage of lower stem rot incidence. 
  3. Two new diversified cropping systems, namely, sorghum multicut (fodder) – Berseem (fodder) and Maize (cobs/fodder)-potato-onion have been recommended keeping in view their better economic performance over conventional rice-wheat system. 
  4. Summer moong-DSR-wheat cropping system has been recommended to avail N credits from the incorporation of summer moong stover (after picking pods) at maturity. 
  5. With a view to enhance net income of sugarcane growers through increased land use efficiency, PAU continues to expand menu of potential intercrops in sugarcane. One row of cucumber can be intercropped in paired row trench (90:30, 120:30 cm) planted spring sugarcane.
  6. In case of summer moong, a flexible row to row spacing – 17.5, 20, or 22.5 cm – has been recommended in order to ensure timely and wider availability of appropriate seed drills. 
  7. In order to provide technological leverage to the newly introduced crop proso millet with Punjab Cheena 1 as its maiden variety, it has been provisionally recommended to sow proso millet during March – April at a spacing of 22.5 cm by using seed @ 4 kg/acre.

   

  Vegetable Crops

  1. Package of practices developed for ginger cultivation in the state involves planting during the first half of May; mulching with sugarcane trash (@ 3 ton/acre) or paddy straw (@ 4 ton/acre); and use of FYM @ 6 ton/acre, fertilizer N @ 24 kg/acre, P @ 16 kg/acre, and K @ 8 kg/acre. 
  2. Early market arrival of round gourd invites premium prices. Mulching with silver-black plastic film (25 micron) after sowing during mid-April to mid-May period not only jacks up early yield substantially (178-287 percent during trials), but also enhances total yield.

  Fruit Crops

  1. Keeping in view the limited availability of FYM and upcycling of paddy residue and for expanding organic nutrient interventions in Kinnow mandarin, application of paddy straw compost @ 100 kg/tree as an alternative to FYM has been recommended. In multilocation yield trials, rice straw compost was almost at par with FYM in enhancing fruit yield. 
  2. Grafting of sapota [Monilkara achras (Mill.) Fosberg] on Khirni rootstock by side and veneer methods during March to August has been recommended. The side grafting and veneer grafting had recorded 62.5 and 58.9% success rate, respectively, during the experimentation. 

  Bacteriological kit for pond water testing

  • Bacteriological testing kit has been designed to test for the coliform counts in waste water. If initial total coliform count exceeds 100 colony forming units/100 ml water, dye-based kit changes colour from purple to yellow post 72-hour incubation at 37ºC. 

  CROP PROTECTION

  • For weed control, pendimethalin 40%+ metribuzin 8% as a pre-emergence herbicide for control of Phalaris minor and broadleaf weeds in wheat; clodinafop propargyl 9%+metribuzin 20% WP for post-emergence weed control in wheat; broad spectrum post emergence oil based composition – florpyrauxifen-benzyl 12.5 g/litre+penoxsulam 20g/litre – for weed control in transplanted rice; and Bispyribac sodium 38%+metsulfuron methyl 2.5%+ chlorimuron ethyl 2.5% for post-emergence weed control in direct seeded and transplanted rice have been recommended.
  • In order to manage yellow rust in organic wheat, a prophylactic foliar application of fermented butter milk (@ 20% v/v) can be made at 30 days after sowing. Three subsequent applications can be made at 10 days interval, beginning with the first appearance of the disease. 
  • Expanding options for managing pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) in cotton, the University has recommended a PB (pheromone based) knot based mating disruption technology. Use of PB Knot (Gossyplure 4%; 7,11 hexadecadienyl acetate) at square formation stage (40-50 days after sowing) was able to provide an effective control.
  • For the management of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in maize, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) based Delfin WG and DiPel 8L can be placed as soil mixture (25 g or ml/kg soil) in plant whorls. 
  1. In order to manage gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, in chickpea, an eco-friendly cultural technique has been recommended. It involves planting two rows of linseed after every 20 rows of chickpea. Linseed spurs population of natural enemies and promotes larval parasitisation. 
  2. A PAU stored grain protection kit has been developed to manage insect-pests of chickpea stored in low-density polyethylene packets. The kit consists of a 6-ml vial of Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) – a key compound in garlic oil and active ingredient of the kit, one dropper (1 ml) and 30 sponge strips (5 cm by 1 cm). One kit is sufficient for fumigating 30 half-kg packets.  
  3. Foliar application of cobalt chloride has been recommended for managing guava wilt. Using this ethylene inhibitor @ 1500 ppm, as foliar spray, on wilt affected plants during October led to 75% recovery. 

  FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

  • Technology for preparing high protein soy powder and instant soy milk powder was developed. Instant soy milk powder, a plant-based lactose-free alternative, had 9.67 per cent TSS in comparison to 6.83 of reconstituted high protein soy powder and 6.1% in soy milk. Instant soymilk powder had a shelf life of six months, and had better reconstitution and colour characteristics in comparison to high protein soy powder.
  • Technology developed for preparing dry figs and fig bars can absorb low grade fig produce. Osmosis drying followed by tray drying increased TSS to 58.2o and 61.2o, respectively, of partly and fully ripened figs. These fig bars were microbiologically safe up to six months of storage. 

  MICROBIOLOGY

  Bioenzyme from kinnow waste: Technology was developed to upcycle Kinnow waste into a fermented organic cleanser (bioenzyme). Kinnow waste/droppings added with jaggery into water (3:1:10 ratio) were allowed to undergo anaerobic fermentation in air-tight container with 10-15% head space. This led to the production of various acids and enzymes after three months. The resulting liquid was found to be a good multi-purpose organic cleanser e.g. for washing fruits and vegetables and for waste water treatment. In case of fruit washing, its efficacy was at par with sodium hypochlorite (150 ppm). With respect to waste water treatment, biological oxygen demand (BOD) of waste water improved from 93.8 mg/l to 31.3 mg/l, 15 days after addition of the bio-enzyme. 

  RAINWATER HARVESTING

  Screen filter for rooftop water harvesting: An economical (cost of installation lower by about 45%) and a more efficient alternative of the earlier used screen filter has been developed. This rooftop filter (6” diameter) has a capacity of 25 cubic metre per hour. The recharge occurs through a borewell. This model requires less area and less labour for maintenance. Single screen filter can cater to roughly 1000 m2 area. 

  FARM MACHINERY

  Remote controlled two-wheel paddy transplanter: In order to navigate emerging labour availability challenges in agriculture of the state and reduce drudgery, a remote controlled 2-wheel paddy transplanter has been developed. When compared with the conventional walk-behind transplanter, this machine slashed down labour requirement by 40% and improved field capacity by 10-11%, thereby raising net profit (by 14.2%). The operator does not need to enter the puddled field. Thus, it eases physical workload of the operator and improves work efficiency.