Researches Must Visit Fields To Increase Per Acre Production: UAF VC
Umer Jamshaid Published November 30, 2024 | 07:40 PM
FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Nov, 2024) Researches must visit fields to develop agriculture on scientific bases for increasing per acre production, said Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
He was addressing a farmers’ day function at Chak No.125 Jaranwala on the concluding day of a 15-day wheat campaign. He said that researches should not be piled up in the libraries but researchers should reach fields to address the problems of the farming community, industry and others.
He said that the wheat campaign is a landmark step towards spreading latest information, agricultural techniques and practices. He said that in the campaign, senior students of BS 7th semester and MS were sent to the field. Usage of certified seeds, balanced fertilizers, water saving techniques and implementation on experts’ recommendation at field level will boost up the wheat productivity, he added.
He said that the government had launched projects worth billions of rupees for agricultural uplift in which the farmers were being provided green tractors, laser land levelers and other incentives.
He also said that farmers could get agricultural inputs on interest-free loans through Kisan cards, getting out of them from the clutches of middlemen. He also said that tangible measures should be taken to buy the farmers' produce at proper prices.
He said that timely sowing increases production and make crops healthy. "We have to promote drill sowing on zero tillage that will help increase productivity and save water," he added.
He said that the irrigation with sewage water was causing health hazards and measures must be taken to maintain the MRLs level in the fruits and vegetables.
He said that the university had developed genetically modified varieties of sugarcane that are resistant to herbicides and insects to produce high-yielding crops. The first GM sugarcane borer-resistant varieties were approved for commercialization in Brazil in 2017 and these are saving 1.52 billion USD annually. We are the second in the world to develop the GM Sugarcane, he added.
Assistant Director Agriculture Extension Rizwan Amir said that the wheat campaign is a commendable step in which the students of the university and the officers of the Extension were promoting modern trends by making joint efforts.
Dr Muhammad Naveed said that soil analysis should be carried out to get complete information about soil so that the best crop can be obtained by applying balanced fertilizers.
He said that soil health was deteriorating day by day for which we have to conduct soil analysis to overcome the shortage of zinc, sulfur, potash and others. Bio-fertilizer needs to be applied to the fields, he added.
