Source: Chronicle News Service / Premchand Thongam

Imphal, October 15 2021: Plantation of broad bean or fava bean just after harvesting paddy on fields will help augment farmers' income apart from endorsing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative towards doubling farmers' income, stated professor Edwin Luikham of department of agronomy, College of Agriculture of Central Agriculture University, Imphal.

As rice remains the staple food of people of the state, farmers both in the hills and valley plant paddy but majority of them leave the paddy fields barren after harvesting paddy rice.

In a tiny state like Manipur with limited resources and majority of the population being farmers, efforts are needed to keep paddy fields green throughout the year, he stressed and noted that, some paddy fields with proper irrigation facility are harvesting paddy twice (double cropping) a year.

Successful harvest of mustard plant sown just after harvesting paddy with the collective effort of farmers, CAU and state agriculture department has been seen since the past few years and this indeed is a good sign.

Though the agriculture sector remains depended on rain in the state, utilisation of agricultural technology is much needed to enhance production.

Trial conducted by CAU at paddy fields after harvesting paddy in the past few years has yielded success and burning of stubble after harvest should never be done as this not only affects environment but also spoils soil.

Instead, stubble should be spread across paddy fields to retain moisture of the soil for a long time and trials on planting broad bean in such paddy fields have yielded success.

Accordingly, farmers could sow broad beans, mustard seeds or other winter crop seeds on such paddy fields and broad beans came out to be most productive and profitable among them.

Among the combination of paddy-mustard plants, paddy-pea plants and paddy-broad bean plants, the maximum gross income comes from paddy-broad bean combination, professor Edwin Luikham said, adding that a farmer could earn Rs 3.3 lakh from one acre of land with paddy-broad bean combination.