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Improper use of fertilizer causing fall in yield

Staff Reporter

Farming process in full swing with onset of monsoon

HIGH HOPES: A farmer readies his field on the advent of monsoon near Tangi in Puri district.

BERHAMPUR: Unscientific use of fertilisers and delay in sowing has been hampering the harvest prospects of farmers. With the advent of monsoon rains the farmers have started agricultural process for Kharif season. But agricultural experts feel unless the farmers get out of their misconception regarding use of fertilisers and timing of sowing of seeds they will not be able to get better yields.

Retired joint director of agriculture department, Baikunthanath Panda said there was dearth of technical hands in rural areas to provide proper agricultural know how to farmers who are guided by misconceptions. Earlier, every panchyat used to have Village Agriculture Workers (VAW). Now most of the VAWs have become panchayat executive officers devoting little time to educate farmers regarding scientific farming.

Mr Gokul Chandra Panigrahi, former district agriculture officer of Ganjam district, said imbalanced fertiliser use was destroying the soil balance in Ganjam district. In rural areas of the district there was a tendency among farmers to use maximum amount of urea with a hope of better yield. But extra use of urea intensifies vegetative growth diminishing the reproductive growth in plants, which reduces the final yield. He advocated more use of organic manure with scientific administration of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash fertilisers in balanced amounts at proper time.

Mr Panda was critical of the farmers in Ganjam district delaying sowing waiting for the rains. According to him grown up plants have better scope for photosynthesis. Farmers should see to it that their Kharif crop should bear ‘earheads’ by October to get better yield.

Agricultural experts supported the recent move by the district administration to promote cultivation of pulses, oil seeds and cash crops in non-irrigated high land areas of Ganjam district this Kharif season in place of traditional paddy cultivation. According to them if proper marketing network is established farmers can gain from cultivation of Jatropha and cotton in Ganjam district.

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