AICRPDA Ballowal Saunkhri Centre at a Glance

Abstract

Regional Research Station for Kandi Area, Ballowal Saunkhri (Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar) is a constituent unit of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab). In order to address the problems of rainfed agriculture production system, the All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA) was initiated in 1970 at PAU, Ludhiana campus and shifted to Ballowal Saunkhri in1990 along with an Operational Research Project on watershed approach. This centre represents one of the 25 AICRPDA centres spread over the rainfed regions of the country with headquarter at Hyderabad. The project has mandate to generate location specific technologies through onstation research focusing rainwater management, soil & water conservation, integrated nutrient management (INM), cropping systems, crop improvement, energy management, alternate land use and farming systems under rainfed maize-based production system of Kandi region of Punjab. The resultant technologies are subsequently assessed on farmer's field under Operational Research Project in different villages of domain area. Under the State plan/Non-plan Research, the station has lead function to work on land and water management, arable cropping systems, horticulture & agro-horticulture, agro-forestry, livestock management; testing and verification functions and special function including trainings and technology dissemination.