Gurbir Singh, a farmer of Bhorshi Rajputan village, has made a mark in progressive farming. He is a well-known vegetable seed and nursery seller in the area. Narrating his story of struggle, Gurbir said he was unable to continue his studies due to the unfortunate death of his father in a road accident in 2000. He said he was 19-year-old and his family was in debt. As a result, he started sowing vegetables on his 2.5 acres.
Later, Gurbir contacted Dr. Narinderpal Singh, In-charge Farm Advisory Service Scheme of Punjab Agricultural University, and trained to make chili hybrid seeds. Gurbir became a master in hybrid chilies and cytoplasmic male sterility techniques used for breeding of new varieties. He established Gobinpura nursery for quality production in vegetables and did several experiments. During rabi season, the nursery is raised on 8.5 acres, while during kharif season, it’s reduced to 3 acres.
Gurbir has developed a vermicompost unit to supplement essential nutrients for the nursery. He constructed a moveable net house in 1 kanal, where he grows tomatoes, brinjal, capsicum, and cauliflower. Net-house cultivation increases the quality and quantity of the nursery. In order to improve water efficiency, Gurbir uses a drip irrigation system.
A biogas plant has been installed to optimize the use of cow dung. The biogas is used in the kitchen and slurry in fields. Gurbir was awarded by the PAU in 2010. He also got the ‘Best Nursery Grower’ award in 2009 and got many awards in addition to the ‘Farmer Award’ by Amritsar Deputy Commissioner under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency scheme.
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