2500 acres of land under Moong cultivation in Bathinda-CAO
Bathinda- Farmer Nirmal Singh from village Golewala in talwandi Sabo block is reaping benefits from the 60 days moong cultivation in 10 acre of his land and earning handsome income. For the past one decade, Nirmal Singh has been cultivating moong and earning financial benefits as well as has improved the health of soil in his fields.
Before cultivating paddy and basmati, Nirmal Singh cultivates 60 days moong crop. He not only earns more from this additional crop albeit the improves the health of soil in his fields as moong cultivation leads to increased content of nitrogen thereby lowering the need for fertilizers for the paddy and basmati crops that are cultivated later. this has helped him lower the cost of inputs on fertilizers and pesticides as well as gain well from selling moong.
He added that wherever moong is cultivated, the basmati and paddy is sown after July 20. This saves plenty of ground water, which is already receding at an alarming rate and power consumption as well. The basmati sown between July 20 to July 25 gets ready within same time period as the paddy that is sown a month earlier in June.
Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Guraditta Singh Sidhu stated that around 2500 acres of area is under moong cultivation in the district. Farmers are being encouraged to opt for moong cultivation, which is a diversification crop and which also leads to nitrogen fixation in soil raising the content of nitrogen. He added that the moong crop gets ready in 60 days which can be sown between wheat and paddy period. It has an average yield of 4 to 5 quintals per acre. He said that the area under moong cultivation is expected to increase next year as more farmers are getting inclined towards its cultivation.
He added that moong seed is used 10 kg per acre. After harvesting wheat, the moong can be sown without tilling the fields. if there is no stubble in the fields, then moong can also be sown using zero till drill. The agriculture department gives free of cost kits to the farmers for cultivating moong. Moong can be sown from March 20 to third week of April.
