Research at pau

The Directorate of Research is headed by the Director of Research who is assisted by 4 Additional Directors of Research in the areas of Crop Improvement; Natural Resource and Plant Health Management, Horticulture and Food Science, Farm Machanization and Bioenergy; Associate Director of Research, Director Seeds apart from Directors/Incharges of the Research Stations/Seed Farms.

Keeping in view the existing and emerging problems in agriculture so as to find out their viable solutions, PAU carries out research in agriculture and allied disciplines including basic sciences and humanities, farm engineering and home science.

Research at PAU /Wheat Breeding Programme

Research at PAU / Breeding Short Duration Rice varieties

Short duration rice varieties of rice: A win-win venture

Declining water table in the state is a major issue necessitating the attention of farmers, scientists and policy makers. It is estimated that between a period of 1998 and 2018, the average annual rate of fall in water table of Punjab state is 0.53 meter. But the situation in some of the central districts is more severe, where rate of water table fall is more than 1.0 meter per annum. Hence, to sustain the rice cultivation and water resources of state there is dire need to grow rice with the least amount of water. The water requirement of rice is a function of transplanting time. Transplanting early in season, when there is higher evaporative demand but no rainfall, leads to extraction of significant amount of water from water table. Hence, to reduce the load on underground water, transplanting close to the onset of monsoon is an important step of water saving policy for sustainable rice cultivation in state. Moreover, the development and recommendation of short duration varieties with higher per day productivity, which are able to perform best under end June to early July transplanting time are also integral component of water saving policy. In a last decade, PAU has developed and recommended a dozen rice varieties. The widespread adoption of short duration varieties and their excellent performance at farmer’s field have also resulted in improving resource use efficiency. Adoption of these varieties has not only increased the production but also has set records in terms of productivity and contribution to central rice pool. Salient features of short to medium duration paddy varieties recommended for cultivation in the Punjab state are as under:

Variety	Optimum sowing time	Seedling age at transplanting	Average yield (q/acre)	Days to maturity (after transplanting)	Resistance to bacterial blight pathotypes	Important remarks
PR 132	May 20-25	30-35 days	31.5	111		Apply 25% less urea than other varieties (i.e. 1.5 bag urea per acre)
PR 131			31.0	110	10/10	Avoid sowing in sub-mountainous areas
PR 129			30.0	108	10/10
PR 128			30.5	111	10/10
PR 122			31.5	117	10/10
PR 121			30.5	110	10/10
PR 114			27.5	115	5/10
PR 113			28.0	112	8/10	Coarse rice variety
PR 130	May 25-31		30.0	105	10/10
HKR 47			29.5	104	0/10	Suitable for parboiled rice
PR 127			30.0	107	10/10	Do not grow in poor quality irrigation water
PR 126	May 25- June 20	25-30 days	30.0	93	7/10	-Complete urea application up to 35 days of transplanting -Do not transplant after 15th July

Research at PAU / Post-harvest technologies

1. The Department of Food Science and Technology has developed numerous post-harvest technologies for valorization of agricultural produce. These include Sugarcane Juice Bottling Technology and sugarcane juice kheer. Several multigrain flour mixes such as multigrain atta, gluten free atta and multigrain flour for diabetics have been developed. Potato-based products such as Aloo wadi, Samosa/parantha potato premix, Aloo bhujia, Aloo chakli, Aloo papad, ready to cook non-cereal pudding mix and soup mix, ready-to fry frozen potato shammi kebab have been developed. Technologies for extruded products such as variety pasta, snacks and instant porridge has been standardized. Bio-processed millet flour and premixes, millet based extruded, baked and indigenous products have been developed. Besides, high protein soy powders for beverage and food applications are available. Technologies for instant wheat noodles and Infused honey have been recommended. Value added products from turmeric -turmeric pickle and turmeric incorporated pasta, cookies, muffins and pizza base have been standardized. Several other products including value-added products from figs and kinnow such as kinnow fruit bar and kinnow burfi have been developed. Recent notable achievements include valorized products (smoothie, powders, preseves) from jamun, dates, guava, garlic and dragon fruit. Other notable technologies include fermented baby corn pickle, probiotic kulfi. By use of non-thermal processing methods, modified millet flours and cereal starches have been developed for diversified food uses. Prebiotic dairy analogues from field pea, dal analogues, meat analogues have also been developed and characterized.

Bottled sugarcane juice

Sugarcane Juice Kheer

Multigrain Flour Mixes

Potato-based products

Extruded products

Millet based products

Soy milk powder

Infused honey

Turmeric-based products

Fig-based products

Value-added Guava products

Fermented Baby Corn Pickle

Probiotic Kulfi

Kinnow Fruit Bar

Kinnow Burfi

2. Department of Processing and Food Engineering: Agro-Processing Complex (APC) and Jaggery Processing Plant at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana has been established recently which aims to address post-harvest losses, enhance agro-processing and value addition, and improve rural livelihoods by supporting farmers. The department has been instrumental in establishment of Agro Processing complexes across Punjab and is being published on ICAR website for popularization across the nation. Developed and commercialized various post-harvest machineries i.e PAU Portable maize dryer, Horticultural Produce Washing Machine, Honey Heating-cum Filtration Unit, Turmeric Washing and Polishing Machine, Brick and Sand Store, Electric-cum-Battery Heated Uncapping Knife, Radial Honey Extractor, Aloevera Leaf Gel Extraction Machine, Pilot Scale Plant for Pectin Extraction for kinnow and mosambi waste (peel), Mechanically Ventilated Onion Storage Structure, PAU Protection Kit for Pulses.

Agro-Processing Complexes

PAU Portable maize dryer

Horticultural Produce Washing Machine

Aloe vera leaf gel extraction machine

Honey heating-cum filtration Unit

Turmeric washing and polishing machine:

Pectin extraction plant (Pilot scale)

Mechanically Ventilated Onion Storage Structure

3. The Department of Food and Nutrition has developed a range of REC-approved post-harvest technologies to enhance the nutritional quality, safety, and value of foods while supporting health and economic sustainability.

Key innovations include:

Beetroot Powder – A natural substitute for artificial food colors, enriching cakes, cookies, bread, and doughnuts with antioxidants and vibrant color.

Pumpkin Seed Flour – Can be added up to 30% in panjeeri, mathi, and cookies to boost protein, fiber, iron, zinc, carotenoids, and antioxidants.

UV-Treated Mushrooms – Button and oyster mushrooms exposed to UV rays show a significant increase in Vitamin D₂.

Wheatgrass Powder – Made from 7–10-day-old shoots using freeze or shade drying; an excellent superfood to enrich meals.

Mulberry Products – Six items (jam, chutney, crush, syrup, leather, dried mulberry) standardized with high antioxidant retention for up to four months.

Karonda-Based Products – Green karonda powder rich in vitamin C (41.62 mg/100g) and pink ripe powder high in anthocyanins (388.59 mg/100g).

Microgreens – Spinach, coriander, broccoli, and carrot harvested on day 10, preserved with microwave dehydration to retain β-carotene and vitamin C, offering a fresh way to boost antioxidant intake.

Research at PAU /Diversification focus: Horticultural crops

Fruit Varieties : Grain production in the Punjab is self-sufficient due to the prevalence of the wheat-rice cropping pattern, especially in Punjab and the surrounding states. Nevertheless, this area has severely degraded its natural resources due to the intense agricultural strategies. Fruit varieties play a pivotal role in crop diversification by improving resilience, sustainability, and profitability in farming systems, while also contributing to better nutrition and rural livelihoods. Diversification with multiple fruit varieties provides farmers with continuous income opportunities across seasons and shields them from price fluctuations. Growing multiple fruit varieties reduces the risk of total crop failure due to pests, diseases, or adverse weather, as different varieties respond differently to stresses. By cultivating early, mid, and late-maturing fruit varieties, farmers can stagger production, ensuring availability of fruits for longer periods and reducing market glut. More importantly, compared to cereal crops, established orchards give significantly more revenue per unit area. Fruit cultivation may significantly contribute to more profitability and nutritional security of the farmers and will be helpful in diversifying the varietal monoculture in fruit cultivation under Punjab conditions.

Over the last decades, the department has engaged in the collection, development and assessment of germplasm from a variety of crops, both within the country and abroad. With the release commercially seedless variety viz. ‘PAU Kinnow-1’, Punjab citrus growers will now have access to profitable markets in America and Europe. This variety is expected to enhance the citrus industry in Punjab, resulting in improved returns for the growers. Other notable varieties in citrus include Early Gold, Vaniglia Sanguigno and Flame grapefruit. In a similar vein, research initiatives were undertaken by PAU to recommend notable guava varieties suitable for commercial farming, such as Punjab Apple Guava, Punjab Safeda and Punjab Kiran. Additionally, other significant varieties recommended include Black Fig-I (fig), Chandler and Winter Dawn (strawberry), Anna, Dorsett Golden (apple), White Dragon 1 and Red Dragon 1 (dragon fruit), Kokan Bahadoli, Gomma Prianka (Jamun), Punjab Rasbhai 1, and Punjab Rasbhari 2 (Cape Gooseberry). The high demand for planting materials of these varieties among fruit growers reflecting their significance and adaptability under crop diversification programme in Punjab.

Fruit varieties/hybrids released by PAU Ludhiana (2016-2025)

S. No.	Crop	Variety	Varietal description	Photo

1.	Citrus	PAU Kinnow 1	It is a low seeded variety with average seed number of 3.43 per fruit and matures in January. The flesh is orange colour and juicy, with a rich and sweet flavour, having TSS of 10.5% and 0.81% acidity. Yield of five year old plant is 45 kg.
		Early Gold	Low seeded variety (2 – 6 seed per fruit) with high juice content (47.23%) having attractive golden yellow colour and good blend of sugar and acidity. Fruit ripen during last week of October to mid of November. Its average fruit yield is 45 kg/ tree
		Vaniglia Sanguigno	It is an acid less variety. Fruit flesh is pale pink in colour. Low seeded variety (4-8 seeds/fruit) with high juice content (48.0%). Fruit ripens during the second fortnight of October. Its average yield is about 47 kg/ tree.
		Flame Grapefruit	Fruits are medium to large in size with dark red and tender flesh and the peel colour is yellow with bright red blush colouration at maturity. Fruits are commercially seedless (2.0 seeds per fruit), highly juicy, rich in vitamin C have TSS of 9.80% and acidity 1.41%. It is a mid-season variety which ripens during last week of November. Average yield is 74.9 kg/tree
2.	Guava	Punjab Apple Guava	Trees are semi-vigorous with round crown and drooping branches. The fruits are medium in size, round, dark red coloured peel having creamy flesh with medium sized seeds. Fruits have 11.83 % TSS and 0.45 % acidity. For better colour development and high quality fruit production, only winter season crop should be taken. Average fruit yield is about 100 kg/tree.
		Punjab Safeda	Fruits are medium to large in size, round with smooth creamy-white skin, white fleshed and firm texture. Fruits have 13.4 % TSS and 0.62% acidity. Average fruit yield is 125-150 kg/tree
		Punjab Kiran	Fruits medium in size, round to oblong, pink fleshed with small and soft seeds. Fruits have 12.3% TSS and 0.44 % acidity. Average fruit yield is 100-125 kg/tree
3.	Jamun	Goma Priyanka	The fruits are medium-sized, with an average fruit weight of 10.3 g and a pulp content of 83.5%. The total soluble solids (TSS) content is 13.6%, and the acidity level is 0.71%. The average fruit yield is approximately 50 kg per tree. Harvesting time- first to the third week of July.
		Konkan Bahadoli	The fruits are medium-sized, with an average weight of 12.5 g. Fruit contain over 78.5% pulp, with a TSS content of 12.6% and an acidity level of 0.75%. The average yield per tree is around 50 kg. Harvesting time- mid-July to the end of July.
4.	Apple	Dorsett Golden	A low chilling and early maturing variety of apple. Fruits are round-conical, greenish yellow in colour. Fruit size remain smaller (55-65mm diameter), TSS 13.0%, acidity 0.3% and TSS/acid ratio of 43.3. Fruits are available during first fortnight of June. Average yield is 30 Kg/plant.
		Anna	It is a low chilling and early maturing variety of apple. Fruits are oblong-conical and greenish yellow variety with slight red blush on some fruits. Fruits are smaller in size (55- 65mm diameter), TSS 12.7%, acidity 0.38% and TSS/acid ratio 34. Fruits are available from 4th week of May to 2nd week of June with average yield of 32 Kg/ plant.
5.	Strawberry	Chandler	It is mid-season cultivar and fruits are available from first week of February to first week of April. Fruits are medium, conical to with glossy and attractive skin. Flesh colour is deep red. Average fruit weight is 17.2 g, TSS 8.7 %, acidity 0.83 % and TSS/acid ratio 10.48. Average yield is about 260 g/plant.
		Winter Dawn	It is early maturing cultivar and fruits are available from mid-January to end of March. Fruits are large, medium conical to wedge shaped with deep red and glossy skin. Flesh color is dark red. Average fruit weight is 20.2 g, TSS 9.1%, acidity 0.82 % and TSS/acid ratio 11.2. Average yield is about 290 g/plant
6.	Dragon fruit	Red Dragon-1	Fruits are oblong with red-green brackets; average weight is 325 g per fruit. The fruits bear from July to November under Punjab conditions Average yield after 4th year of planting is 8.35 kg/pillar. Pulp colour is red embedded with small black seeds. Average TSS is 9.48 with 0.41 % acidity.
		White Dragon-1	Fruits are oblong with red-green brackets, oblong in shape, 285 g in weight. The fruits bear from July to November under Punjab conditions Average yield after 4th year of planting is 8.75 kg/pillar. Flesh colour is white embedded with small black seeds. Average TSS is 9.24 with 0.62 % acidity.
7.	Fig	Black Fig 1	The trees are dwarf. Fruits are medium to large in size, delicious, purplish pink in colour on yellow background and have a medium sized eye. The flesh colour is cream to pink with excellent flavour. Fruits mature from mid-June to first week of July. The average fruit yield is about 13.0 kg per tree.
8.	Cape gooseberry	Punjab Rasbhari 1	Plants are semi-upright, one meter tall and having heart shaped leaves. Fruits are smooth, circular, orange, enclosed in ovoid husk, average fruit weight is 7.46 g with TSS of 14.2 % and acidity 1.80 %. It is an early maturing variety and ripens from 2nd week of February to end- March. The average yield is 0.55 kg/plant (48.9 q/acre).
		Punjab Rasbhari 2	Plants are semi-upright, one meter tall and having heart shaped leaves. Fruits are round to oblong, yellow orange, enclosed in oblong husk, average fruit weight is 8.08 g with TSS of 14.0 % and acidity 1.82 %. It is a mid-season variety and ripens from 4th week of February to 1st week of April. The average yield is 0.54 kg/plant (48.0 q/acre).

AGROFORESTRY : Agroforestry has huge potential in Punjab for diversification of agriculture, better profitability and sustainability of environment. Approximately, 1,30, 000 ha area is covered under agroforestry systems based on poplar, eucalyptus, Burma dek, etc.

Variety	Clone Name	Year of Recommendation	Specification
Eucalyptus	PE-11	2022/ 293th REC Meeting	15.61% volume index, 7.41% for tree height, 3.77% for DBH growth than existing commercial cultivated clone C-413
Dek	Punjab Dek 1 & Punjab Dek 2	2021/ 286th REC meeting	Clear bole height (18.5 & 13.6 %), Straightness (21.3 & 19.6 %), per tree volume of Punjab Dek 1 & Punjab Dek 2 is 0.385 m3 and 0.284 m3 which is 163.5 % & 94.4% higher than the over mean of all general population.
Casuarina	IFGTB-CH-2	2025/307th REC meeting	The clone is superior for growth characteristics and stem biomass

Research at PAU /Seed Production Programme

Research at PAU / Electron Microscope and Nanotechnology laboratory

EMNL Brochure - Click here to view details Service Charges for Sample Analysis EMNL

Electron Microscopy & Nanoscience Laboratory (EMNL) was established in 2005 at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. This is a state-of-art laboratory housing ultramodern electron microscopes furnished with all accessories and atomic force microscope to boost novel research in disciplines of nanoscience and nanotechnology with core emphasis on benefits that could be imparted to strengthen the crop production and productivity in Indian agriculture. It is a central facility in PAU catering the needs of frontline research in high resolution imaging, electron microscopy and nanoscopic examination of cells or cell surfaces. More than 200 masters’ and doctoral candidates from PAU, and 120 from other institutes have utilized these facilities. The Lab has been offering academic courses to students. It has organized several training programs to transcend the awareness and proper scientific methodology to the students, researchers, scientists and fellow fraternity pertaining to nanoscience and nanotechnology. The Lab has been outsourced by researchers, scholars and students from universities, institutions and industry across the nation and the world. Present research focus

Development of micronutrient nanofertilizer
Synthesis and characterization of nanomaterial based biodegradable cling films
Nanomaterials for decontamination of ground water

The EMN laboratory has following facilities available

Scanning Electron Microscope (Hitachi S-3400N) with EDS (Thermo Noran System SIX)
Transmission Electron Microscope in both HC and HR modes (Hitachi H-7650)
Scanning Tunneling and Atomic Force Microscope (STM/AFM) operating in air (Veeco di CP-II Scanning Probe Microscope)
Leica Ultracut Microtome model UC6
Leica EM Cryo Chamber FC6 model
Ion Sputter Coater (Hitachi model E-1010) with gold and carbon coating units
Bench Top Evaporator (Polaron E6500 MHVE)
Critical Point Dryer (Polaron E3000 CPD)
Optical Upright Research Microscope: Leica DM5000 B
Stereo Zoom Microscope: Leica MZ16 A
Stereo Zoom Microscope: Leica MZ16 A with LED illumination
Fluorescence Microscope: Leica DM 5000 B
Macro Viewer: Kaiser with Leica Imaging tools.
FTIR NXRFT Raman Spectroscope: Thermo Nicolet 6700

Faculty of Electron Microscopy and Nanoscience Laboratory, PAU Ludhiana
Name and Designation	Local Address	Telephone/Mobile	E-mail
Dr. (Mrs) Anjali Sidhu Nanotechnologist (Chemistry)		8360803103	anjalisidhu@pau.edu
Dr. Anu Kalia Assistant Professor Nanoscience, Incharge	H.No. 1814, SBS Nagar, Ludhiana	9914620240	kaliaanu@pau.edu
Dr. Gurkirat Kaur Assistant Professor Nanotechnology	H.No. 854/1, Street No.16/1, Punjab Mata Nagar, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana	9501134768	gurkirat@pau.edu
Dr. Kiran Jeet Assistant Professor Nanotechnology	243-E, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana	9915066549	kiranjeet@pau.edu
Dr. Mehra Singh Sidhu Assistant Professor (Nanotechnology (Physics))	#766, Street 2L, Hira Bagh, Jagraon, Ludhiana – 142026	9779557712	sidhums@pau.edu
Dr. Nitish Dhingra Assistant Professor (Nanotechnology Physics)	H. No. 5686, St. No. 6, New Shiva Ji Nagar, Ludhiana	9417815830	nitishdhingra@pau.edu

EMN Laboratory is now under the control of Head, Soil Science.

Research at PAU / Agro Processing Complex

Food processing minimizes wastage by utilizing excess of the produce. Processing also increases shelf life of produce thereby ensuring that seasonality of some agricultural products can be reduced. Almost all food is processed in some way before it is eaten.

Food processing has certain objectives, such as:

Extension in shelf life of food products
Prevent food-contamination.
Food storage and Transportation.
Turns raw food materials into attractive, marketable products.
Provide employment to a large population.

In Punjab, primary processing of agricultural produce is quite important as it can be handled by the farmers themselves. This can result in enhancing farmers’ income, creation of employment opportunities in rural areas, reduction in post-harvest losses and access to quality food products being used daily in our houses.

Agro-processing is a necessary intervention where the farm produce cannot be consumed in its natural format. Primary processing converts the agricultural produce into its eatable form. Agro- processing infrastructure is key to bringing much agricultural output to markets thus providing another avenue to farmers to monetize their production. The agro-processing industry also helps in minimizing food loss by utilizing the produce for its value addition and income generation.

Keeping in mind above justification, a modern agro processing complex (APC) has been installed near Biotechnology Center, PAU Ludhiana. The main objectives of this APC are

To add value through primary processing of durable crops such as wheat, oil seeds, pulses, basmati etc.
To develop Entrepreneurship in rural areas and encourage young farmers for income generation
To provide hands on trainings/ organize training courses for stake holders
To act as a demonstrative unit for the farmers/ small entrepreneurs during kisan melas/ exhibitions etc
To replicate the APC in other parts of the state
To demonstrate the state of the art grain storage system and its adoption by the farmers
To promote PAU premium varieties such as PBW 1 Chapati (Wheat), Punjab Basmati 7, GSC 7 (Canola), SML 832 (Summer moong) etc. for processing

The APC is having following modern machinery for primary processing of durable crops

Cleaning, grading and packaging of pulses

This set up has the following machines

Cleaner cum grader
Colour sorter for pulses
Vacuum packaging machine
Nitrogen flush packaging machine

This unit helps the farmers to add value to their raw produce by innovative processing and packaging machinery. The capacity of this unit is 100 kg/hr

Mini Dal Mill

This machine is used for making dal (split and dehusked) from moong beans, black chana and other pulses after providing some pretreatments. The capacity of the machine is 100 kg/hr. The colour sorter can be used for separation of dark coloured grains in pulses.

Mini Rice Mill

This rice mill can be used for processing the PAU premium basmati rice varieties such as Pusa basmati 1121 and Punjab Basmati 7 in very efficient and effective way. This unit has the following machines

Paddy cleaner and destoner,
Paddy dehusker
Rice Polisher
Rice grader

The capacity of this machine is 500 kg/ hr. (Figure 3)

Cold/ hydraulic oil press

This machine is quite useful in extraction of oil from oil seed crops such as mustard, canola, groundnut and sunflower etc. under low temperature and high pressure conditions. These conditions help in maintain the quality of oil as well as oil seed cake. Most of the oil present in the oilseed can be extracted and a very small amount of oil remains in the deoiled material. There is no need to filter the oil obtained from this unit. The capacity of this machine is about 25 kg/hr. (Figure 4)

Wheat Flour mill

Having a capacity of about 300 kg/ hr, this unit grinds wheat at low RPM (about 200-300 rpm) resulting in good quality wheat flour (atta). (Figure 5)

This unit is having following machines

Wheat cleaner
Scourer
Two atta chakkis
Flour grading system

Animal/ poultry feed mill plant

The byproducts obtained cold oil press, mini rice mil, atta chakki and dal mill can be effectively used for making animal/ poultry feed. For this, The APC also houses a small (100 kg/hr) animal feed mill plant.

Apart from these, the complex is having state of the art packaging machinery for grains, powder and liquid materials

In this agro processing complex, the premium varieties of PAU such as Punjab PBW 1 Chapatti (wheat), Punjab Basmati 7 (basmati paddy), GSC 7, RLC 3 (canola oil seeds) etc. are processed for their popularization. (Figure 6)

Grain Storage System (Grain Silos)

To avoid the losses of food grains in traditional bag storage system, the bulk storage system has been installed in the APC compound. The bulk storage system of silo is quite effective in long term storage of food grains

This storage system includes the followings

Two grain storage silos (50 quintals capacity, each)

Conveying system consisting of bucket elevator and screw conveyor

Electric drying system

Aeration system

The installed silos can be effectively used for storage of wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds for a long time. The grains to be stored should be thoroughly cleaned and dried below the safe storage limit of moisture content. (Figure 7)

Type of Grains	Safe storage moisture content
Wheat	<12%
Pulses and oilseeds	<10 %
Maize	<13 %

Research at PAU /Farm Machinery Research

1. GNSS based Auto-steering system

Auto-steering system is a GNSS-based guidance technology to maintain precise steering control, thereby reducing errors caused by manual steering. Auto-steering system helps in operating tractor-mounted implements along a predefined path with enhanced accuracy, reducing missed areas, overlaps, and the number of passes required during field operations. The average overlapped area (in lines), when the tractor was operated with manual steering, was 3-12% for different tillage and seeding machines, whereas with auto-steering system, the average overlapped area was about 1%. Similarly manual steering control, while operating these machines, resulted in missed area (in lines) of 2.0-7.0%, whereas the missed area was less than 1% when the auto-steering system was used to operate these machines. The auto-steering system led to precise work minimal wastage of input resources, enhanced working hours, and improved productivity. The operator’s fatigue also reduced, allowing him to focus on implement management. Further, parallel sowing lines facilitate subsequent mechanical intercultural and harvesting operations.

2. PAU Manually Operated Seeder for Vegetable Crops.

The PAU manually operated seeder for vegetable crops is a machine for direct sowing of vegetable crops like peas, radish, turnip, spinach, gram, fenugreek, okra, mustard, millets etc. The seeding unit of the machine comprised a shoe-type furrow opener, cylindrical seed box, and revolving plate-type metering mechanism. The number of seeding units and spacing between them i.e. row to row spacing is adjustable. Different seed metering plates can be used for accommodating diverse seed types and achieve different plant-to-plant spacing. The field capacity of the machine is 0.15-0.28 acres/h. Depending upon type of crop, there is saving in cost of operation by 48-82% and saving in labour by 55-85% as compared to conventional pora method or manual seeding by hand (choka/ chundi method). Ergonomically, machine is easy to operate. The machine could be very useful for small farmers.

3.Tractor-operated PAU turf manager for cutting and collecting grass

The tractor-operated Turf Manager is a PTO-driven machine designed for simultaneously cutting and collecting the grass. The machine consists of high performance rotor mechanism with multiple flail blades that trim grass and plant residues while generating airflow to transport the material into a rear mounted collection hopper. The field capacity of the PAU turf manager ranges from 0.2 to 0.3 ha/h. The fuel consumption varied from 12 to 20 l/ha, depending on intensity of grass in the field. The quantity of grass collected during evaluation of machine varied from 0.3 to 0.7 t/h. The collecting hopper can hold grass up to 200 kg. The integrated hydraulic system allows easy dumping of the collected material into the field.

4. Super Seeder for cotton and wheat residue incorporation

In-situ residue incorporation of cotton stalks and wheat sowing as well as in-situ incorporation of wheat residue with Super Seeder, resulted in higher seed cotton yield, wheat grain yield and improved soil physical parameters. Soil infiltration rate improved from 2.75 mm/h to 3.44 mm/h. Also soil bulk density reduced from 1.58 gm/cm3 to 1.46 g/cm3.

5. Tractor-operated mat-type nursery Seeder:

This machine can sow mat type nursery which is sufficient for transplantation in 150-180 acres paddy field area per day. There is a cost saving of 64-67 % and labour saving of 92-94 % with Tractor operated mat type nursery seeder as compared to conventional manual method of mat type nursery sowing. The machine can help in timely sowing and healthy mat type paddy nursery, thereby, can help in large scale adoption of mechanical transplantation of paddy in the state.

6. Pneumatic Planter :

A pneumatic planter uses air pressure to precisely place seeds in the soil. It utilizes either vacuum or positive air pressure to control seed flow, ensuring accurate spacing and depth, which leads to improved germination and higher yields. It drops one seed at a time. There was found no missing/doubling and results in the saving of costly seed. No Damage to the seed was observed during the sowing operation.

7. Tractor-operated PAU surface seeder:

PAU Surface Seeder comprises of straw cutter-cum-spreader fitted with seed and fertilizer box attachment. This machine can be easily operated by a 40 hp tractor or above. It is a low-cost machine that does uniform application of wheat seed & and basal fertilizer along with cutting & and spreading of paddy straw in a single operation. It is followed by irrigation for initiating the germination of wheat.

8. Tractor-operated PAU Smart seeder:

PAU Smart Seeder manages the paddy straw by partial incorporation in a narrow band and retains the remaining straw as surface mulch. PAU Smart Seeder places wheat seeds in a well-tilled narrow band of soil and covers the seed rows with soil, using furrow closing rollers. Tillage in seed rows and furrow closing rollers enhances the soil seed contact and conserves furrow moisture, which results in early and uniform wheat establishment compared to Super Seeder and Happy Seeder. PAU Smart seeder can be operated with a 45 or above hp tractor. The field capacity of the machine is 0.8-1.0 acre/h and the fuel consumption of the machine is 5.0-5.5 l/acre.

9. Tractor-operated Super seeder:

It is a tractor mounted machine for direct sowing of wheat in combine harvested paddy field. The machine is a combination of Roto broadcaster (Roto seed drill) and disc type seeding attachment. The machine consisted of a straw managing rotor for incorporation of paddy straw and a seeding unit for sowing wheat directly after combine harvesting. Seed and fertilizer tubes are opened at the rear of the discs. The furrow opener discs are powered. The shape of the blade is C-J type. The machine is operated by a 55 hp or above tractor. The field capacity of the machine is 0.22-0.27 ha/h with fuel consumption of 8-9 l/h.

10. Happy seeder :

Happy Seeder is used for sowing of wheat directly into the combine-harvested paddy

fields. It is a tractor PTO driven machine which can be operated by 45 HP or above tractor and can cover 6-8 acres/day. Happy seeder consists of a rotor for managing the paddy residues and a zero till drill for sowing of wheat. Flail-type blades are mounted on the straw management rotor, which cuts (hits/shears) the standing stubble/ loose straw coming in front of the sowing tine and cleans each tine for proper placement of seed in the soil. The loose stubble should be evenly spread.

11. Remote-controlled Paddy Transplanter:

A remotely controlled 2-wheel paddy transplanter was recommended for transplanting mat type nursery. The labour requirement for machine transplanting was reduced by 40%; the effective field capacity of the machine was increased by 10-11% and a net profit increase of 14.25% as compared to the conventional walk-behind paddy transplanter. The physical workload of the operator is also reduced resulting in increased work efficiency with the comfort and safety of the operator without entering in puddled field. The initial cost of the machine with the developed system has been increased up to 28%.

12. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)/Drone fitted Spraying system

For spraying, a hexacopter drone fitted with a standard/extended flat fan nozzle or anti-drift/air induction nozzles can be used for spraying. The drone can be operated at a forward speed of 2.0-3.0 m/s and height of 2-3 m from the top of the crop and a pressure of 1.38 kg/cm2. Drone/UAV can be used for spraying in all crops especially good for tall crops at all the growth stages of the crops. A certified and trained pilot is required or mandatory for the operation of UAVs/drones in the fields. The total cost of the operation of a drone for spraying will be Rs. 889.7/h or Rs 296.6/acre.

13. PAU high clearance multi-purpose sprayer:

This sprayer has three types of spraying arrangements, namely auto-rotate gun, boom type and drop-up type nozzles, which were operated by a single pump. The pump can be operated at 800 rpm to develop the desired pressure up to 35 kg/cm2. Boom and drop-up nozzle mechanism consists of 14 nozzles on the boom and 13 drop-up nozzles (Make: Teejet) mounted on a foldable 9.8 m wide boom with 67.5 cm nozzle spacing. Boom nozzles were used to spray on the top side of the plant canopy, and other drop-up nozzles were used to spray inside the crop canopy up to 65-75 cm below the boom and within the row or the underside of the leaf through an adjustable drop-up arrangement of the nozzle to target whitefly residing locations. The height of the boom can be adjusted in the range of 30-250 cm according to the crop height.

Research at PAU /Automated Submersible Pump Testing Centre

PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY PUMP TESTING CENTRE

The Pump Testing Centre at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, is a state-of-the-art facility established to scientifically evaluate the performance of agricultural and irrigation pumps. Accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), it operates in compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 standards, ensuring that all tests are conducted with high precision, traceability, and reliability. The centre is equipped with advanced instrumentation to measure discharge, head, input power, pump efficiency, and overall performance curves for submersible pumps, in accordance with BIS specifications. NABL accreditation signifies that the test results are nationally and internationally recognized, which benefits manufacturers in quality assurance, farmers in selecting energy-efficient pumps, and researchers in developing improved irrigation technologies. By providing unbiased, third-party testing, the PAU Pump Testing Centre plays a crucial role in promoting water and energy conservation in Punjab’s agriculture sector.