KANUBARI, Aug 24: The Longding Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s (KVK) Head (in-charge) Dr A Kirankumar Singh, visited farmers’ fields in Kamkah, Mopakhat and Hasse Russa villages in Kanubari circle on Saturday.
At the black rice field of farmer Nokjam Wangjen in Kamkah, Dr Singh found that although the crop was growing well, the use of glyphosate in the bunds of the field were affecting the rice plants near the bunds, even in the middle of the field, and that irrigation is required. He advised the farmer to stop the use of glyphosate near the field.
In Mopakhat, Dr Singh advised farmer Tingjen Tingkhatra to start weeding at the earliest as Tingkhatra’s rice field was heavily infested by weeds. There, too, the KVK head observed the use of glyphosate in the bunds, and advised the farmer not to use it.
At farmer Topha Atraham’s black rice field, Dr Singh observed heavy infestation of weed and the need for irrigation. He noted that the growth of the crop was not satisfactory because of the removal of the topsoil by the farmer. Atraham was advised to ensure immediate irrigation, weeding, and fertilizer application.
In Hasse Russa, Dr Singh visited the field of farmer Ankham Ponglaham, who is growing the Ranjit variety of rice, and again saw that the removal of the topsoil had caused poor growth of the crop. He also noticed the transplantation of over-aged seedlings in the field resulting in less tillering and yield.
Singh advised the farmer to use 20-25 days old seedlings and apply FYM/compost in the field after harvesting the rice, besides following “crop rotation with leguminous crops, and adopting green manuring.”
Based on his observations, Dr Singh called for proper adoption of soil fertility management practices, and for restricting the use of glyphosate.
“Otherwise, the soil in these areas will be of less importance for growing crops,” he said.
“The common situation in these villages is that the rice fields are surrounded by tea gardens where heavy doses of glyphosate and fertilizers are used, and the washing away of the glyphosate and fertilizers by rainfall could be one of the reasons for the poor growth and yield of rice,” Dr Singh said.
