A Kisan Mela and Beej Diwas was organized at the Gurbachan Singh Foundation for Research, Education and Development (GSFRED), at its research centre, Karnal on September 22, 2024. The function was organized to share agricultural technologies and innovations developed at GSFRED for the welfare of the farmers. Seeds of high yielding, climate smart, pest resistant, new varieties of wheat DBW 327, DBW 370, DBW 371, DBW 372, WH 1270, RS 1, PBW 826, PBW 872, HI 1653, HI 1654, HD 3385, HD 3406, were distributed to the visiting farmers. Ten kg seed of these varieties was given to 20 small and marginal farmers to conduct demonstrations in their fields for location specific testing. An exhibition of innovative technologies developed at GSFRED was also organised. Dr. M.L. Madan (Padma Shri Awardee), Dr. S.K. Malhotra, VC, MPUAT, Karnal, Dr. P.C Sharma, Ex-Director CSSRI, Karnal and Dr. Randhir Singh, Ex ADG, Agriculture Extension ICAR participated as guests of honour.
Chairman of the Foundation and Former Chairman, ASRB; Agriculture Commissioner, Govt. of India and Director, CSSRI, Karnal shared the activities and programs of GSFRED initiated for the welfare of farmers and skill and entrepreneurship development in unemployed youth and students. He talked about the Integrated Farming System Model developed at GSFRED for doubling income of small and marginal farmers and to make agriculture climate resilient. He further shared that about 50% irrigation water can be saved through raised bed planting of wheat and placing rice residue in furrows as mulch, growing moong on same bunds without cultivation followed by planting short duration varieties of rice such as PB 1509, PB 1692, PR 126 in the month of July.
Dr. Madan, strongly advocated the need for up-scaling of IFS model developed at GSFRED for food, nutrition and livelihood security of small and marginal farmers who account for about 85% of the total number of farmers in the country. He appreciated Chairman (GSFRED) for establishing a Foundation after retirement for the benefit of school students, farmers and civil society members.
Dr. S.K. Malhotra emphasized a strong need for integrating horticulture with agriculture to improve farmers income and to sequester carbon at the farm level. He appreciated the foundation for supplying quality planting material of horticulture species, aromatic and medicinal plants to the farmers and others. Dr. P.C. Sharma shared that this Foundation has become a central platform for exchange of agricultural innovations and technologies amongst the scientists of the region and its onward transfer to farmers and other stakeholders in the country. The urgent need to link agricultural technologies with the farmers in a participatory mode was stressed by Dr. Randhir singh. More than 600 people including about 120 women farmers, scientists, research managers, entrepreneurs and civil society representatives participated.
