Chandigarh, May 3 : The developing of a sub-surface hard pan in the soil across the state because of continuous irrigation for paddy has started taking its toll on the crop yield.
At a depth of six inch from the soil surface, a hard layer has developed that has been limiting the seepage of water, nutrients, rooting process of plants and other natural processes. Worried over the development, the state government has initiated measures to break the hard pan with the help of chiselers.
“The strata of arable land have turned hard. The sub-surface has become impervious. The problem has been compounded with the introduction of L-type rotavators, an implement used to plough the land. This implement ploughs the arable land finely up to 6 inches deep, but hardens the sub-surface below that,” said KS Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture.
The hard pan hampered the flourishing of the root system of crops with deep roots, affecting their productivity. “This hard pan phenomenon has also affected the crop diversification campaign”, said an agricultural expert. “With the breaking of the hard plate, the yield of various crops is expected to go up by 10 to 20 per cent per acre in the state where 105 lakh acres of land is cultivated,” said Pannu. Only C-type rotavators would be allowed in the fields. There would be no more subsidies on L-type rotavators henceforth, he added.
“We are motivating the farmers to use sub-soil chiseler during the next two months to cover maximum area before the beginning of the kharif season. Multipurpose cooperative societies would be helped to procure chiseler units and provide the same to farmers. This sub-soiler goes deep into the soil up to 2 feet and breaks the hard pan horizontally as well as vertically,” said Suresh Kumar, Financial Commissioner (Development). The sub-soil chiselers will have to be used for the next three years.
The problem
* At a depth of 6 inch from the soil surface, a hard layer has developed
* It has been limiting the seepage of water, nutrients, rooting process of plants and other natural processes
* The problem has been compounded with the use of L-type rotavators for ploughing fields
* This implement ploughs the arable land finely up to 6 inches deep, but hardens the sub-surface below that