PAIC- Gypsum and Dhaincha Seeds

PAIC

Gypsum and Dhaincha Seeds

Gypsum is a soft mineral composed of calcium and sulfate, used for improving soil health whereas Dhaincha seed is a green manure crop used to improve physical properties and nitrogen uptake by crops through soil.

Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited has started the distribution of Gypsum and Dhaincha Seeds from FY- 2020-21 on 50% subsidy and Rs. 2000 per QTLs, respectively, among the farmers of Punjab state for reclamation of degradable soils under the Crop Diversification Program (CDP) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

Gypsum Benefits

Gypsum helps reclaim degradable soils with more than 8.5 pH by providing calcium and sulfur.
It increases nutrient intake from the soil by the crop plants and improves its texture.
It also helps decrease the demand for chemical fertilizer for the crop and ultimately curtails the cost of production.

Gypsum

Gypsum has been distributed at a 50% subsidy to the farmers to improve the health of the soil. Approx. 70,00,00 farmers benefited from the scheme, including women, SC/BC/General, and approx. 85,00,00 Acre of Agriculture land got reclaimed during FY-2021- 22. More than 150 blocks of various districts have distributed the gypsum to farmers all over the state.

Dhaincha Benefits

Dhaincha seed is used to make green manure, which is beneficial for crop plants.
Dhaincha crop is sown after harvesting wheat and plough the same before paddy transplantation.
It improves the health of the soil by lowering the pH of the soil. It provides a substantial amount of nitrogen to the crop plant.
It also helps increase the porosity of the soil, ultimately improving the soil’s texture and increasing the intake of nutrients by the crop plant.

Dhaincha seed

Dhaincha is being cultivated in approx. 7.75 lakh acres of agricultural land and approx. 2.0 lakh farmers got the benefit of the scheme during FY-2021-22. More than 170 blocks of various districts have distributed the Dhaincha seed to farmers throughout the state through the Agriculture department. Approx 25000 QTLs of Dhaincha seeds have been distributed among the farmers from 2020-21 to 2022-23.