DECLARE PAU-LCC AS BEST TECHNOLOGY

LUDHIANA
The Indo-UK Nitrogen Virtual Joint Centres have declared PAU-Leaf Colour Chart technology as the best nitrogen management practice to improve nitrogen use efficiency. They have also recommended it, ensuring the supply of PAU-LCC to all the farmers in India. Four scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), namely, Dr Parveen Chhuneja, Dr Varinderpal Singh, Dr Satinder Kaur and Dr Jayesh Singh represented the University at the meeting of Indo-UK Nitrogen Virtual Joint Centres, held at NASC, New Delhi from October 3 to October 5, 2017. The meeting aimed at discussing ‘Challenges and Opportunities in Agricultural Nitrogen Science in India.’ This was followed by the meeting of ‘Cambridge India Network for Translational Research in Nitrogen (CINTRIN)’ in Hyderabad from October 5 to October 7, 2017. More than 90 researchers from 46 research institutes across the globe discussed their works to improve the fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency.

Dr Varinderpal Singh, Senior Soil Chemist, PAU, presented University’s work and discussed PAU-Leaf Colour Chart (LCC) as a diagnostic tool to improve NUE and reduce escape of nitrogen from soil plant system to atmosphere. He revealed that originally IRRI (International Rice Research Institute)-LCC was adopted by PAU for need based fertilizer nitrogen management in rice, maize and wheat. However, the colour strips of IRRI-LCC could not precisely measure the leaf greenness differences of less than 10 SPAD (Chlorophyll meter) units and thus, restricted its wider application for need based nitrogen management, he added. The Department of Soil Science, PAU, modified the IRRI-LCC and improved the precision by introducing new colour strips (differing by 5 SPAD units) in PAU-LCC, he disclosed. Discussing the benefits of PAU-LCC, Dr Singh said that it could be used for precision nitrogen management in rice, wheat, maize and basmati rice to achieve potential yield.

Dr O.P. Choudhary, Head, Soil Science, PAU, said the Department of Soil Science has adopted two villages (Bassian, Ludhiana and Mirjapur, Pathankot) with the support of Cambridge-India Network For Translational Research In Nitrogen (CINTRIN) and Atam Pargas Social Welfare Council to educate the farmers to ensure judicious use of fertilizer nitrogen using PAU-LCC.

Dr Varinderpal Singh further divulged that farmers in the village Bassian are very happy with the use of PAU-LCC in rice and have saved 50 to 75 kg urea per acre in comparison to farmers’ practice of applying 150 kg urea per acre.