PAU–Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kapurthala successfully organized its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) Meeting on 30 January 2026, marking an important milestone in reviewing achievements and formulating strategies for the coming year. The meeting was chaired by Dr. T. S. Dhillon, Additional Director of Extension Education, and co-chaired by Dr. P. S. Sandhu, Additional Director of Extension Education, PAU, Ludhiana. The event witnessed active participation from district officials, progressive farmers, and farm women.
In his presidential address, Dr. T. S. Dhillon emphasized the need to discourage the cultivation of spring maize in the district, as it has led to a decline in the area under muskmelon and watermelon. He advocated the promotion of cost-effective and profitable muskmelon varieties as suitable alternatives. He also stressed the adoption of the Integrated Farming System (IFS) model to enhance farm family income.
Addressing the SAC members, Dr. P. S. Sandhu highlighted the importance of quality seed production of potato, considering Kapurthala’s status as a potato belt. He underlined the need for strict adherence to seed plot technique, effective monitoring systems, and appropriate crop variety selection. He further emphasized strengthening insect–pest monitoring systems for their timely and effective management.
The meeting began with a welcome address by Dr. Bindu Marwaha, Professor (Agricultural Engineering). Dr. Harinder Singh, Incharge, KVK Kapurthala, presented the Action Taken Report of the previous SAC meeting, along with the Progress Report for 2025–26 and the Action Plan for 2026–27. While highlighting farmer-centric activities, he informed the members about new initiatives undertaken by the KVK, including the development of soil advisory services and soil fertility maps using a geo-statistical approach. He also elaborated on campaigns such as “Meri Mitti Mera Jeev” for restoring soil health through bio-fertilizers and “Apna Khet Apna Beej” to encourage farmers to store their own seed. Extension strategies to promote spring groundnut for resource conservation and “Gyan Nal Vadhe Vigyan” to strengthen technology dissemination were also discussed.
An open discussion followed, during which valuable suggestions were offered by members for incorporation into the forthcoming action plan.
After the meeting, Dr. Amandeep Kaur, Associate Professor (Vegetable Science), facilitated a field visit. The participants appreciated the district cropping pattern showcased in the technology park. In the rice–potato–groundnut rotation, different PAU-recommended potato varieties were displayed, while in the carrot–muskmelon–early cauliflower sequence, various carrot varieties were exhibited. The dignitaries also visited the polyhouse showcasing seed production of tomato and French bean, the agroforestry model, and the potato seed production area. They admired the growth performance of trait-specific wheat varieties grown at the KVK.
The members lauded the efforts of the KVK in promoting agricultural innovations and farmer-centric technologies and offered constructive recommendations to further strengthen its extension programmes and outreach activities.