Demonstrating the In-Situ Paddy Residue Management Farm Machinery in Hoshiarpur District of Punjab

The persistent issue of paddy residue burning in Punjab has raised serious environmental, health and soil degradation concerns, necessitating sustainable and farmer friendly solutions. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Hoshiarpur implemented an intensive extension and demonstration programme under the ICAR-funded project, “Promotion on agricultural mechanization for in-situ management of crop residue.” The project aimed to promote the adoption of in-situ paddy residue management technologies by conducting village-level awareness camps, school mobilization programmes, district and block-level camps and field demonstrations in four adopted villages of Hoshiarpur district during rabi 2023–24. A total of 170 frontline demonstrations covering 210 hectares were conducted using PAU Smart Seeder, PAU Surface Seeder and Super Seeder. A strategically established learning platforms was also established regarding different technologies of wheat sowing for paddy residue management at KVK and village Bugra. In farmers field demonstrations, the technologies like PAU Smart Seeder and PAU Surface Seeder achieved drastic reductions in weed infestation down to 25.37 and 25.35 weeds/m², respectively as compared to the conventional method. The Happy Seeder performed exceptionally well, delivering the highest wheat grain yield of 56.67 q/ha, followed closely by PAU Smart Seeder (56.20 q/ha) and PAU Surface Seeder (55.44 q/ha), all outperforming the conventional method (55.15 q/ha). From an economic point of view, the Happy Seeder sown wheat resulted in the highest gross return of Rs. 1,37,424.75/ha and net return of Rs. 94,164.75/ha, while the PAU Surface Seeder sown wheat offered the lowest cost of cultivation at Rs. 40,960/ha, making it highly cost-effective. These findings conclusively demonstrate that modern paddy residue management technologies not only mitigate the adverse effects of stubble burning but also enhance productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability.