Punjab Agricultural University scientists to experiment with natural farming

Farm scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gained first-hand experience of natural farming at Gurukul farms in Haryana's Kurukshetra district and said they would also experiment the "pesticide-free" farming method in Punjab.

A team of farm scientists led by Ludhiana-based PAU Vice Chancellor B S Dhillon visited the Gurukul farms at Kurukshetra on Monday and described it as a "learning experience". "We liked natural farming at Gurukul and we will also start experimenting in Punjab," said Dhillon on Tuesday.

PAU delegation was also impressed with the increase in organic carbon and micro nutrients with the use of natural farming, said Dhillon. "There is no use of pesticides and fertilizers in natural farming and therefore the proportion of earth worm increase in the soil, he said adding that the yield of basmati paddy crop was also good.

Spread over 180 acres of land, Gurukul farms use indigenous cow urine, cow dung, jaggery, water and a few other items as manure for the cultivation of crops like paddy, wheat, sugarcane and some other crops.

There is no use of pesticides and fertilizers in this farming method, said Shamsher Singh of Kurukshetra based Gurukul and further said natural farming leads to increase in soil fertility and farm output.

He further said that natural farming not only protects soil from degradation but also ensures nutritious food output. With lesser cost involved in natural farming, it also helps farmers to earn more income, he said.

The farm also has more than 300 cows including Indian breed Sahiwal, Tharparkar. Singh said a training centre will also come up at a sum of Rs 2.60 crore here whereby farmers from Haryana will be imparted training of natural farming.

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This training centre will start functioning from next year, he further said. Gurukul also runs an educational institution at Kurukshetra.