JORHAT, Sept 27 � The second stakeholders� meeting involving farmers, scientists and officers of the Agricultural Department, organized by the �Society Inspiring Technological Agriculture� (SITA) was held at the ABITA Hall of the Kushal Konwar Indoor Stadium on September 25 to finalize a concept to develop a simple and affordable farm mechanization technology in respect of speedy field preparation after harvest of �sali� rice to raise a �rabi� crop finely and to take advantage of residual soil moisture under rain-fed situation.
Dr Tapan Dutta, president of the society, took initiative for developing such a technology for cutting the leftover straw after harvest of paddy crop, without which timely field preparation is very difficult and cumbersome. Moreover, the period is overlapping with post harvest operation of the sali rice crop cutting of straw by human labourers is expensive and burning of the same is harmful for the soil health.
Dr Dutta, a retired professor of the Assam Agriculture University, approached the Director of Research, Agriculture, to develop a technology. Accordingly Dr Pankaj Barua, Agricultural Engineering undertook the programme under the guidance of Dr Pankaj Das, Head of the Department, Agricultural Engineering, Jorhat.
Based on discussion of the first meeting, a system was developed and presented by fitting a reaper in a power tiller for the purpose. It would be cost effective. This innovative concept was appreciated and requested to develop the model for demonstration by last week of October, so that it can be applied in the field during next coming season.
Among others, Pittam Rangpi, District Agricultural Officer, Dr Karuna Sarmah, Professor, AAU, Arun Goswami and Ajit Sarmah, treasurer and secretary of SITA respectively participated in the discussion.
