Majority of Farmers Waste their input by use of improper method and improper quantity of different agrochemical compound which leads to economic damage and waste their income, so the cost of production for field crop is increased and the former does not entertain well as they desire. More than 40% – 50% efficiency of fertilizers water and pesticides is not used by crops.
Here we mentioned some problems faced by farmers in the field and their possible recommended solutions.
1. Land preparation and soil sampling:
In agriculture importance of land is like a mother as a human. Land preparation and cultivation of soil is the main principle for crop production. Different crops demand different types of land preparation that vary to climate conditions Some crops need deep plough for cultivation and some need shallow type preparation main focus is the determination of crops that grow in this field.
Some farmers not prepared land according to crop demand and half of the yield is underestimated reduced and then. Preparation of land is a current issue faced by farmers in dia different zone. Sometimes heavy equipment used during land preparation results in soil breaking and soil compaction that leads to crop failure
2. Improper irrigation management:
Irrigation plays a vital role in agriculture because crops are dependent on water this water leads to success or destruction. Improper irrigation management leads to crop failure mostly seen that some farmers used drought-resistant varieties and used high irrigation on them the crop response is not according to the farmer’s taste.
Canal cleaning is a major role in water flow if big amount of grasses or weeds appears on the canal sides or inside then water quantity is affected by as slow speed and minimized quantity reached in the field and the farmer warbands system time of irrigation completed and almost half of the field remains to irrigate and sometimes canal is proper to clean but unleveled of field caused low water movement in fiend so keep in mind proper land levelling and hoeing in canal is must be done before irrigation apply in field this leads to high water used efficiency and low water loses.
The most important point in some crop stages is water critical stages at this stage water availability is must compulsory but some farmers ignore them or not provided the water amount that the crop needs such a stage that leads to crop failure.
Apply irrigation when the drop need not overused water in the field because in some cases overused water leads to a lodging stage that mostly sees heat. Different water loss as runoff, leaching, water erosion, and percolation are faced in the field by improper irrigation management.
Following an irrigation schedule is a must followed by every farmer When to apply, where to apply, how much to apply, which method to apply these approach determination
3. Selection of soil to cultivate crops:
The selection of soil must be according to the ability of soil to produce productive yield by using the nutrients present in that particular soil. Sometimes farmers grow the crop on poor soil and meet the full supply of all input but do not yield a satisfactory level because all input that we apply is not properly used by crops selection of crop and soil is the initial step for yield if the first step is the wrong direction then no advantages. We can improve soil productivity levels by use of cover crops, farm yard manure, and crop residue.
4. Misuse of fertilizer
This is the main point because fertilizer plays an important role in yield. The heavy cost of fertilizer and precaution measurement attract us to use proper quantity. The main thing is the determination of time and quantity of fertilizer. We used fertilizer when crops need and we should avoid excessive amounts of fertilizer because excess quantity hurts plant tissue causing burning leaves and wilting-like signs and negative effects on soil nature and disturbing soil microbe activity.
For effective use of fertilizer we should do a soil test that is helpful for us to the determination of what type of nutrient is deficient in our soil and which nutrient is not needed to apply this leads us to forecast plans of fertilizer used and minimized cost of fertilizer. Many fertilizers leached or volatilized as urea and ammonium nitrate so we should do coated urea that reduced loss of leaching and volatilization loss.
Excess use of fertilizer disturbs other nutrient availability for plants a negative point for plant growth and development. So apply fertilizer in the morning or evening time then fertilizer losses are reduced a big mistake by farmers is that they used fertilizer before the irrigation then gap this time fertilizer efficiency is low so used fertilizer with irrigation, not after irrigation.
We should use fertilizer in a mechanical way that is equal portion everywhere by using of broadcasting somewhere high quantity and somewhere inadequate amount of fertilizer available to plant that is big loose to fertilizer that reduced the crop yield and type of nozzle also a dependent factor that is used in the mechanical approach.
apply, where to apply, how much to apply, and which method to apply these approach determination of water used in the field. We must use effective irrigation method as drip irrigation and sprinkle irrigation methods that used low water as compared to surface or border irrigation.
In surface or border irrigation big amount of water is wasted by evaporation and water stands on the surface then the gas exchange system in the soil is affected and the plant root system is not properly developed.
5. Improper weed control:
Weeds act as gangsters in the field and play an important role in plant weed computation and weeds compete for space, light, water, nutrient, and their survival mechanism. Farmers used different approaches to control weeds as eradication, management and control for this objective farmers used widely used different agrochemicals that kill weeds but in this way, many weeds act as a benefic role for crops and soil as restorative weeds and act as a cover crop is also eliminated from the field by misused of weedicides that are a negative point to farmers.
Some different herbicides used by farmers kill herbs but they also contact with crops and then crop quality is badly affected we should use only these weedicides that only focus on targeted weeds and not affected crops and we should use such types of weedicides that have a low cost of production. Some weedicides suppress the beneficial pest that positive impact on crops.
Remember hundred percent weed control on weeds is impossible but proper management is helpful to control weeds. Some farmers used such type of herbicides that complete removal of herbs and weeds from the field and farmer think they completely removal but some weeds seed go under dormancy and appear again then but used the same herbicides or weedicides have no effects and show resistance to modifying their genetic potential and farmers used the same type of weedicides and then no proper result come then farmer time and rupees both waste.
Control weeds only at a threshold level that have no economic damage to the crop. So, the proper use of weedicides and proper amount of herbicides and the proper method to apply both herbicides and weedicides is dependent on crop weeds computation. Some farmers ignore weeds at an early stage and when these weeds become mature
6. Misuse of pesticides:
Farmer control pests by use of different method as chemical, mechanical, and cultural. As farmer used different type of pesticides to control different pest it leads to a heavy cost of production and kill the farmer’s friends’ insect which plays an important role to eliminate pest from the field. Pesticides also caused different environmental pollution and their residue have a long negative effect on soil.
Pest show resistance against the same or local type used of pesticides which have two big losses to farmers a wastage of money and an increase in pest power that leads to population density high and then a negative impact on yield. Farmers used such types of pesticides that have low economic value with high capacity to kill pests and adopted such types of pesticides have low pollution and low health issue.
Improper use of pesticides negative effect on soil and climate action a situation comes when we spray pesticides then by accidental rain comes the residue of pesticides mixes with rain water and moves from one field to another field then causing damage to another field so before use pesticides determined weather forecasting is a major step that compensates with pesticides and some other type of issue that is named as eutrophication also caused by misuse of pesticides and another agrochemical. Many other methods are used to control pests.
We must use them if this method is not suited or worked properly then we used chemicals because the use of another cultural method as used of some traps attract pests and killed mostly used in the field is a beneficial step for farmers by use of this method farmers less used pesticides than the cost of production low our main object is minimized cost of production and enhanced yield so we should use this different method.
both herbicides and weedicides are dependent on crop weeds computation. Some farmers ignore weeds at an early stage and when these weeds become mature then control is difficult so we must control weeds at an early stage at this time cost of production is low because weeds are immature and weak then apply herbicides they killed and we used biological approach at an early stage and then this way minimized use of chemical and we also use hoeing and earth up technique that is beneficially role to control weeds so these practices recommended to the farmer to sustainable weeds management.
7. Harvest and post-harvest losses:
Food security and food shortage is an issues faced by globally big amount of food is wasted during the harvesting of crops in different steps such as cutting, threshing, cleaning, sorting, and cutting of crops the manual method as sickle use in a field leads to big loses but many farmers depend on this method and some farmer does not afford the mechanical cost and they preferred manually harvesting.
Lack of modern machinery and poor government subsidy on these equipment leads to breaking farmer backbone the reason farmer does not enjoy proper government structure. Post-harvest losses such as packing of food, lack of proper storage and lack of space for storage and lack of preservation of products are other factors that affected post-harvesting losses that lead to poor yield.
So, we should use proper place for storage, proper fumigation process during storage of cereals crops, proper handling of crops and proper packing material such as moisture proof bags and moisture resistance bags for packing food that reduced attack of termites and pests and our product is safe storage.
Ali Haider, Muhammad Hammad Tariq and Noor Fatima
University Of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
