Farm machines for cultivating horticultural crops

摘要

Wheat-paddy crop rotation is predominant in Punjab. The area under wheat crop is 35 lakh ha and under paddy it is approx. 28 lakh ha. The water requirement of paddy crop is very high due to which water table is declining continuously. There is urgentneed to reduce area under wheat-paddy rotation and diversify to some alternative crops. Bringing more area under fruits and vegetables can be the best option for diversification. At present, area under horticultural crops is approx. 2.77 lakh ha in Punjab which is 6.7 percent of total cultivable land. During 2012-13, area under fruit crops was 0.72 lakh ha and under vegetables, it was 1.78 lakh ha. To bring efficiency in horticulture and to reduce labour cost, horticultural mechanization is being emphasized. Financial aid for new machines is also being provided under National Horticulture Mission. The information about machines, which are being developed and popularized by Punjab Agricultural University are given below.