Short-duration variety sown on 50% paddy area in Punjab may give some respite from stubble fires

For the first time, close to half the total area under paddy cultivation in Punjab has been sown with PR-126, a variety of the crop that matures faster and leaves behind less stubble, raising the hope that it could lead to milder farm fires and reduce the annual pollution impact on the national capital after cultivation this November.

- Gurpreet Singh Nibber

Typically, farmers in Punjab where 75-80% of the summer crop is usually of paddy -- use what is known as the Pusa-44 variety, which produces roughly 10-15% more stubble and takes at least 35 days longer to mature.

"Due to floods in early July, the crop transplanted initially was washed away and farmers were left with no option but to re-sow the short duration variety (PR-126). It came like a blessing in disguise," said Punjab's agriculture department Gurvinder Singh.

The total area over which paddy crops have been sown is 3.1 million hectare, of which 2.5 million hectare are of the coarse grain, with the remaining being the premium, aromatic basmati variety. It is the course grain that is eligible to be bought by government, which fixes every year a floor price, or minimum support price (MSP), that makes it a safe bet for farmers.

The Pusa-44 variety, though requiring more water, has been a preferred choice for its higher yield, experts said, despite efforts by the state government to wean farmers off it due to its higher ecological impact.