Maize has been cultivated commercially using ‘Zero Tillage’ technology for the first time in Jhapa.
Farmer of Kankai Municipality Khagendra Silwal has planted maize using this technology for testing under the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernisation Project.
He is also the secretary of the Maize Zone Coordination Committee. He has been planting maize in more than 15 bighas of land every year.
This is the first time that maize has been planted in 5 katthas of land using this technology for testing and other traditional methods have been used for planting maize in remaining land.
Looking at the plants and fruits, there is no difference between planting with traditional methods and new technology, said Silwal.
For first time Zero tillage is a planting without digging.
Planting maize without any plowing after harvesting any crop will save the cost of plowing and it will also reduce the production cost.
It has been proved that plowing is not necessary to grow maize, he said.
Earlier, paddy cultivation was started in Jhapa using zero tillage technology.
Although this technology was used commercially in Jhapa for paddy cultivation three years ago, it was not used in maize. According to agricultural experts, wheat gives a lot of yield with the application of this technology.
The use of zero tillage technology will help maintain soil fertility. Frequent digging destroys the friendly organisms required for the soil.
Chief of the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernisation Project Implementation Unit, Jhapa,
Rabindra Subedi said that the maize zone programme has been implemented in about 500 hectares of land in Kankai Municipality and Jhapa Rural Municipality.
According to him, the project has been assisting the farmers in technology and technical equipment.
According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, about 208,000 tonnes of maize is being produced every year in Jhapa.
Source : THE RISING NEPAL,
