Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has developed software to predict fertiliser requirement for wheat crop on the basis of the soil analysis for each district after analysis of empirical data of soil fertility.
According to the PAD sources, Directorate General of Agriculture (Extension & AR) after preparing this software has also uploaded on the internet and training to the extension workers has also been completed to use this software. Farmers on the basis of their soil analysis report can get this service from these districts.
However, growers having the facility of computer can directly login to the website as well for their crop fertiliser requirement and production technology package developed for the specific crop by Agriculture Extension Wing, the sources added. Any farmer who wanted to use this service of the agriculture extension wing through use of internet have to sign up with the service and after getting the login and password can utilise the facility developed by the department.
At the prediction page of this portal farmer should first find the district of his choice, then select crop and fill the required fields based on the soil test report for present organic matter, available phosphorus and desired yield. By clicking the word predict, says a letter issued by the Agriculture Extension to all its officers in Punjab, farmer will get the amount of required nitrogen and phosphorus in nutrient kilograms. The possible combinations of different fertilisers would also be provided to the farmers, the sources added.
Sources said that fertiliser requirement for the paddy has also been updated for six districts and update for the remaining districts will be completed shortly. Likewise details of other crops will also be uploaded to complete this job by December 2012, the sources concluded.