Sangrur: Burning one tonne of paddy straw causes the loss of about 400kg of organic carbon, 5.5kg of nitrogen, 2.3kg of phosphorus, 25kg of potassium and 1.2kg of sulphur, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) experts told farmers at an awareness camp in Jakhepal (Chauwas Karamapatti) village on Thursday.Ashok Kumar Garg, senior extension scientist and in-charge of PAU’s farm advisory service centre in Sangrur, urged farmers to treat paddy straw as a resource to improve soil fertility rather than a burden. Incorporating straw into the soil replenishes organic matter and nutrients, helping sustain long-term soil health, he said.More than 30 farmers attended the camp organised by the centre at the village cooperative society. Experts recommended PAU technologies such as the Happy Seeder, Super Seeder, PAU Smart Seeder and surface seeding-cum-mulching for straw management.Garg also cautioned that excessive fertiliser application does not guarantee higher wheat yields. Farmers should base fertiliser use on soil-test results, crop requirements and nutrient availability. He recommended using single superphosphate, triple superphosphate and NPK 12:32:16 as alternatives to relying solely on DAP for phosphorus.Farmers were also briefed on treating wheat seed with PAU-recommended biofertiliser and its benefits for plant growth, nutrient availability and crop health.Garg encouraged diversification into pulses and oilseeds suited to local conditions, highlighting PAU-recommended varieties such as gobhi sarson GSC 7, chickpea PBG 10 and field pea PB 90. Diversification could provide alternative income opportunities while supporting soil health and food security, he said.Farmers raised queries on straw management, wheat fertilisation, manganese deficiency, corrective foliar sprays, wheat varieties and rabi crop planning. Gobhi sarson seed, wheat biofertiliser and PAU agricultural literature were made available at the camp.
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