Students from Australia and PAU to demonstrate water efficiency tools among Farmers, flagged off from PAU

Ludhiana , 8 July, 2010

The newly developed technologies for conserving natural resources need to be popularized among farmers.  This was stated by the PAU Registrar, Dr. R.K.Mahey before flagging off the group of agricultural students from Australia (12) and PAU (15) on a mission to visit Punjab villages to spread the message of adopting natural resource conservation technologies and the water efficiency tools. He appreciated the joint effort of PAU and Syngenta in this venture and highlighted that the two organizations are collaborating in research but the current project is altogether different as it involves students and farmers.  He said that PAU develops technologies that can be better spread through the involvement of students.  Depleting water table is the serious agrarian constraint observed Dr. Mahey.  He conveyed his best wishes to the students group saying that the students will learn many aspects of agriculture at grassroot level and that their feedback will be useful. 

Dr. Liz Humphreys from International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Philippines delved on water saving technologies in rice.  She said that the delayed transplanting of paddy, based on PAU studies is an important technology that reduces pressure on water resources and electricity use.  She shared the IRRI technology for water saving that involves wetting and drying of fields.  She appreciated that tensiometer aided irrigation scheduling in paddy saves water.  The involvement of public and private sector in the popularization of technologies for natural resource management is a good approach, she observed. 

Earlier, Dr. Yadwinder Singh, Head, Department of Soils welcomed the students, officials from Syngenta and faculty members from PAU to the flagging off ceremony.  The Vice-President of Syngenta, Dr. R.K.Jain, who is an alumnus of PAU spoke about the programme.  He said that the event will provide an opportunity to Australian students to learn about Punjabi culture.  The Additional Director of Communication, Dr. Jagtar Singh Dhiman presented an overview about the organizational set-up of PAU and said that the natural resource conservation technologies, especially of water and soil health, is a priority area of research and transfer of technology.  Those who were present on the occasion included, Dr. (Mrs.) S.K.Mann, Dean, Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Neelam Grewal, Dean, College of Home Science, Dr. P.P.S.Lubana, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. (Mrs.) J.K.Sangha, Librarian, Dr. P.S.Chahal, Deputy Director Research, Dr. Nirmal Jaura, Deputy Director (PR), Dr. Vishal Bector among others.  The students earlier, visited the Museum of Social History of Punjab of the University.

(Source : PAU, Ludhiana)