Trailblazer farmers stub out burning problem

Raikot (Ludhiana): Harvesting season for paddy is a month away and the scare of stubble burning is already weighing heavy on people’s minds. But farmers of many villages have decided to douse this burning problem.
Majority of farmers in Rajaona Kalan, Rajaona Khurd, Atiana, Heeran, and some surrounding villages take pride in not burning stubble and saving soil and air from pollution. “If we have 200 farmers in our village, I am sure 99% haven’t set stubble on fire for the past few years. And out of 1,500 acres of farms, stubble was burnt on less than 10 acres. I have not indulged in the practice for the past 13 years and anyone in our village can testify to it. The change has come silently, as people started noticing stubble burning was destroying good microbes in the soil and increasing the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Within years of giving up the practice, our demand for pesticides and fertilizers decreased by 70% and 80%, respectively. Among the other advantages are high yield and good quality,” said Jagdeep Singh, former sarpanch of Rajaona Kalan who farms 50 acres.
He said they have got machinery from a cooperative society and some big farmers have got the setup for incorporating stubble into the soil.
Farmers said integrating stubble into fields has led to increase in biomass inside it. “Also, the water-holding capacity of the soil increases, which dries up the field early in case of rains and prevents flooding. We spend around Rs 1,200 per acre by blending the stubble into soil and sowing the crop. On the other hand, the expenditure of burning the debris and then sowing the crop was around Rs 2,000,” said Kewal Singh, a farmer from Rajaona Khurd who has 30 acres.
He said he decided to give up the practice after he had to take his aunt to a Ludhiana hospital as she faced breathing problem because of stubble burning and his son too suffered an allergy.
Farmers of Heeran village said the change came gradually. “We have 1,700 acres in our village, of which stubble was burnt on about 300 acres. Greater realisation came after we learnt that we were losing productive soil. Moreover, instead of fertilizers and pesticides, we are using green manure now,” said Harchand Singh, a progressive farmer who does farming in 154 acres.
They said transportation of stubble from field was not a viable solution. “Many farmers don’t know the advantages of stubble. It is a big asset as it makes soil productive. There is a need to create awareness and the experts must cover each and every village with a mission. Also, farmers need to understand the fact that every single farmer giving up the practice counts,” said Surjeet Singh, a farmer from Atiana village.