A wheat seed distribution programme was organized under the Farmer FIRST Project on 25th
November 2025 at Kathura village. The programme was led by Dr. Rajkumar and supported by
team members; Vikas Khokhar (Senior Technical) and Nirmal Singh (Senior Research Fellow).
Around 30 farmers from Kathura village actively participated in the event, which was structured
as a Kishan Goshthi followed by seed distribution, providing both technical guidance and quality
seed material to the farmers. The activity aimed to promote resilient wheat cultivation in waterlogged salt-affected areas and to strengthen farmer–scientist interaction for technology dissemination.
During the technical session, Dr. Rajkumar deliberated on improved wheat cultivation
practices suitable for waterlogged saline soils, emphasizing timely sowing, proper land leveling,
use of recommended seed rate, balanced and integrated nutrient management, precise irrigation
scheduling, and effective weed and disease management to realize the yield potential of new
varieties. He highlighted the importance of selecting stress-tolerant varieties for such ecologies
and encouraged farmers to adopt resource-conserving practices and follow scientific
recommendations for higher productivity and profitability. Subsequently, Nirmal Singh discussed
wheat seed production technology in detail, covering field isolation, rouging of off-types,
maintenance of genetic purity, recommended plant geometry, optimum fertilizer and plant
protection schedule, and proper harvesting, threshing and storage to ensure quality seed at the
farmer level. In the distribution session, farmers received seed of wheat varieties KRL 210 and
KRL 283 for on-farm varietal trials in waterlogged saline soils, along with quality seed of DBW 327 and HD 3386, with the expectation that successful lines would be scaled up in subsequent
seasons through farmer-led seed production and wider dissemination in the region.
https://cssri.res.in/poxumyse/2025/11/Wheat-Seed-distribution.pdf
