Kisa Mela at GSFRED

A Kisan Mela was organized at the Gurbachan Singh Foundation for Research, Education and Development (GSFRED), at its research centre, near Kachhwa town, Karnal on October 11, 2025. The Kisan Mela was organized to share agricultural innovations and technologies developed at GSFRED for the welfare of the farmers. The visiting farmers were exposed to the Integrated farming system model for doubling farmers income; Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed Planting (FIRB) Technique to save irrigation water and making eco-friendly use of paddy straw as mulch in furrows; natural and organic farming techniques, quality planting material of fruits and landscaping plants etc. Seeds of high yielding, climate smart, pest resistant, new varieties of wheat DBW-327, DBW-377, DBW-386, PBW-872, RS-1, HD-3385, HD-3386, HD-3390, HD-3406, HD-3410, were distributed to the visiting farmers. Baba Kashmir Singh ji, Gurdwara Nanaksar, Sector 6, Karnal; Baba Jassa ji, Nirmal Kutia, Zarifa, Karnal; Dr. M.L. Madan Farmer DDG, Animal Sciences, ICAR; Dr. S.K. Malhotra, VC, MPUAT, Karnal; Dr. P.C Sharma, Ex-Director ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal; Dr. R.K. Yadav, Director, CSSRI, Karnal; Dr. N.H. Mohan, Director, National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal; Shri Vijay Setiya ji, Former President Rice Export Association of India; Dr. Gyanendera Singh, Ex-Director ICAR-DWBR, Karnal and Dr. Randhir Singh, Ex ADG, Agriculture Extension, ICAR participated as guests of honour.

Dr. Gurbachan Singh, Founder 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, to reduce cultivation cost, a source of regular income 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, PB-1847 and PR 126 in the month of July. This also helps to rejuvenate nutrient depleted soil, helps in regeneration of microbial biodiversity and act as a guard to cover climate change risk in agriculture.

Dr. Madan, while delivering his address strongly advocated the need for integrating livestock with crops to make agriculture sustainable and resilient to climate change. He appreciated Dr. Gurbachan Singh for establishing a Foundation after retirement for the benefit of school students, farmers and civil society members.

The Vice Chancellor of MPUAT, 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. Malhotra further emphasized the need of processing and value addition in horticultural crops to reduce losses and to increase farmers income.

Ex-Director of CSSRI, Dr. P.C. Sharma shared that Gurbachan Singh 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. Dr. N.H. Mohan, newly appointed Director of NBAGR, Karnal stressed upon the need to conserve and promote conservation and improvement of indigenous cattle germplasm. Dr. R.K. Yadav, Director, ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal stressed the need for application of site specific nutrient management to improve soil health. Shri Vijay Setiya ji shared his experience about beneficial use of rice ash for management of pests in crops and improvement in soil health and water infiltration. The urgent need to link new agricultural technologies with the farmers in a participatory mode was stressed by Dr. Randhir singh.

A question-answer session was also organised between farmers and the scientists. Shri Bhubnit Singh of Kalyana Farm shared his successful experience of Banana cultivation at Karnal; Shri Madan Singh of village Tikri Kailash desired to have nursery of Kalkatia variety of marigold at MHU, Karnal. At present they are getting the seedlings from Kolkata; Mr. Bhatia, a farmer from Kachhwa desired the need for developing crop based agri-business models to increase farmers income and Shri Gurcharan Singh of Brass shared his experience about seed production of crops and the need to give more emphasis on processing and value addition.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Gurbachan Singh strongly emphasized the need to give more emphasis on processing, value addition, marketing and trade of agriculture produce to reduce storage losses and to increase farmers profit. In light of recent devastating floods in Panjab and Haryana, he emphasised the need for establishment of reservoirs alongside major rivers such as Yamuna, Markanda, Tangri and Ghaggar in Haryana and Satluj, Beas and Ravi in Panjab to store excess rainwater during monsoon for ground water recharge and to avoid flooding in the region. Groundwater recharge tubewells need to be installed along with these reservoirs to pump the water into the ground round the clock. During receding period of monsoon, recharge tubewells can be switched off and these reservoirs can be filled up to their capacity for meeting irrigation need of the crops and promoting fisheries. The dykes of these reservoirs can be planted with soil binding trees, shrubs and grasses of economic value.

More than 700 people attended the Kisan Mela which included farmers, scientists, research managers, entrepreneurs, educationists, students and civil society representatives.