‘Soil analysis must to improve fertility’

MULTAN: Farmers have been advised to get their soil samples analyzed from laboratories set up at district level as it will enable them prepare the land in accordance with crop and soil needs for obtaining a higher yield.

In a statement issued by media liaison unit of Punjab Agriculture Department, experts said that soil analysis could unveil necessary information like salinity, crop access to Nitrogen, micronutrient including Potash, Zinc, Boron, presence of organic material, PH value of soil and availability of gypsum.

This useful information can help farmers apply only the needed quantity of fertilizers and micronutrient and adopt proper measures to get good production results.

Giving tips on how to collect sample from a acre of field for analysis, experts said that farmers should collect samples from different parts of the field and then mix them to get a compound sample. They said that cotton farmers should dig down from zero to 30 cm deep and collect five to twenty five (25) samples from a cotton field and then mix all these to get a compound sample. This compound sample, upon analysis, can give average fertility of the land, they added. Farmers should first prepare a map of the field showing all details prominently, they told. Samples should be collected from spaces away from the road, trees, heaps of fertilizers and houses, they continued. Samples of saline areas should be collected separately, they added. After getting the samples analyzed, farmers should then consult agriculture officials and follow their guidelines to get good yield, the experts added.

96 power pilferers caught: The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) claimed on Sunday to have caught 96 power pilferers from various parts of south Punjab. According to Mepco sources, Mepco teams accompanied by task forces raided different places in Multan, Vehari, Sahiwal, Rahimyar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalnagar, Khanewal and Dera Ghazi Khan and detected theft of 170,000 units. A fine of over Rs 3.1 million was imposed on power pilferers while FIRs were also got registered against five of them on the charge of tampering with meters, direct supply, installing loop in meters, slowing down meters, meter dead stop and meter screen wash.