PAU' S ROLE IN PROMOTING SUMMER MOONG LAUDED BY ICAR ADG
Date: May 14, 2011
LUDHIANA, MAY 13:
“The continued and sustained efforts of the scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have resulted in popularizing summer mung cultivation in Punjab. The university has played vital role in increasing the area under summer moong in the state and the scientists from different states should follow the success story of PAU.” These expressions were made by Dr B.B. Singh, Additional Director (Oilseeds and Pulses), ICAR, New Delhi, at the “Annual Group Meet of Coordinated Research Project on MULLaRP (mungbean, urdbean, lentil, lathyrus, rajmah and pea, project)” jointly organized by PAU and Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur, here on the campus.
Dr N. Nadarajan, Director, IIPR, Kanpur, appreciating the role of PAU researchers and extension workers in the development of summer moong varieties, congratulated the scientists and exhorted them to keep it up in future. PAU team of scientists was awarded by IIPR in 2007 for their significant contribution in popularizing the cultivation of summer mung in Punjab.
“The area under summer moong popularly known as sathi moongi has increased from 5000 ha (hectare) to more than 60,000 ha in the last few years with the efforts of varsity experts,” divulged Dr T.S. Bains, Senior Breeder (Pulses), PAU. This has become possible with the release of summer mung variety SML 668 by the farm varsity in 2002. The variety matures in 60-65 days and yields about five quintals per acre and has become popular in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and many other parts of the country. Dr Bains told that PAU in collaboration with Department for International Development (DFID), UK and Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC), Taiwan, introduced Seed Village Programme through which seed of PAU summer moong variety SML 668 was distributed free of cost to the farmers. These plots were regularly monitored by PAU Pulse scientists to ensure good crop and the seed produced from these plots was distributed from farmer to farmer which led to the fast dissemination of seed of SML 668, disclosed varsity expert.
Besides improving soil fertility by fixing the atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, he highlighted that the cultivation of this variety has increased the income of the farmers from Rs 15000 to Rs 20,000. The university has also given the matching production and protection technology for achieving maximum productivity from this variety. Revealing that a vast area (more than 2 million ha) in Punjab remains fallow after the harvest of wheat and before transplanting of rice, Dr Bains advised that in this window period of 60-70 days, this variety can be successfully grown as catch crop. Organizing field days, recipe training camps and distributing farm literature free of cost to the farmers and farm women were some of the positive steps taken by PAU.
In another collaborative project under Sir Ratan Tata Trust, PAU conducted extensive front line demonstrations (FLDs) and field days in different districts and farmers were provided seed for an acre free of cost and technical know-how was provided by PAU scientists. Dr Bains informed that the development of another summer moong variety SML 832 in 2010, which matures in 60-65 days, having a good quality shining seeds. PAU has some more varieties in the pipe line.
The delegates and the scientists from State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and the ICAR Institutes said that the success story of PAU in summer mung has prompted many other states to emulate Punjab model and with the efforts of agricultural varsity scientists, it is going to increase production manifold in the coming years.
