Three days training programme under Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) on Sustainable Agriculture Cropping System was inaugurated today by Director Agriculture, Jammu, Dr. S. S. Jamwal at Krishi Bhawan, Directorate of Agriculture, Jammu, today.Seventy five farmers from Samba, Kathua and Reasi districts actively participated in the training and feedback sessions of the programme.Speaking at the inaugural session Director Agriculture said that MIDH-a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) envisages to increase production in agriculture/horticulture on a sustainable basis with utilization of various resources like Soil, Water, Fertilizers, Inputs, machinery etc. optimally and judiciously.
He said that Department of Agriculture is going to provide Soil Health Cards to each farmer within three years which will enable the farmer for balanced application of fertilizers and to maintain “Soil Health”.Director Agriculture, Jammu impressed upon the trainees to adopt the concept of area expansion through crop diversification, increase of Seed Replacement Rate (SRR), mechanization, use of sprinkler & drip irrigation systems, transfer of technology and precision farming on a mission mode. He stressed upon the need for adoption of various water conservation techniques particularly in the un-irrigated Kandi belt where water is scarce to grow various crops.
He asked the farmers to grow oilseed and pulse crops which need less water and fix atmospheric nitrogen thus economizing use of urea and other nitrogenous fertilizers.Dr. B. C. Sharma, Professor and Dr. A. P. Singh, Associate Professor from Division of Agronomy and Dr. Vivak Mohan Arya, Soil Scientist of SKUAST-J presented their elaborate technical lectures on respective areas of sustainable farming through Power Point Presentations.In his address, Joint Director of Agriculture (Extension), A. K. Malhotra during the concluding session of day, he said that the mission will give boost to the crop production through integration of various sustainable technologies following standard crop management practices and application of balance nutrition. He stressed on the adoption of various soil and moisture conservation technologies as the water is a precious component of farming.