Ludhiana, July 18 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) student Sukhpreet Singh has brought significant recognition to the university by securing the highly esteemed INSPIRE Fellowship.
Currently pursuing his doctoral research in Agronomy at PAU, Singh’s achievement highlights the institution’s commitment to fostering academic excellence.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has awarded this fellowship to him for a period of five years.
Under the supervision of Dr. Makhan Singh Bhullar, Director of Extension Education at PAU, Sukhpreet Singh is conducting groundbreaking research on new cultivars and planting methods in potato and their relationship with weed dynamics in the potato-summer moong cropping system.
His work aims to address key challenges in agronomy and enhance crop productivity through innovative practices.
Dr. Makhan Singh Bhullar emphasized the importance of sustainable intensification of alternative crops like potato and summer mung bean for sustained productivity and food and nutritional security.
He highlighted that the traditional ridge planting method for potatoes has led to stagnated productivity, necessitating new agronomic interventions such as broad bed planting.
Dr. Bhullar explained that planting potatoes in moist beds and delaying the first post-sowing irrigation improves emergence and reduces early weed flushes. Singh’s research includes evaluating a new broad-spectrum herbicide, a premix of flufenacet and metribuzin, for prolonged weed control under variable first post-sowing irrigation schedules.
The Vice-Chancellor of PAU, Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, congratulated Sukhpreet Singh and his major advisor, Dr. M. S. Bhullar, for this outstanding achievement. Dr. Gosal also commended the Department of Agronomy for nurturing such talented scholars.
Dr. A. S. Dhatt, Director of Research at PAU, extended his good wishes to Sukhpreet Singh and encouraged other students to emulate his dedication and hard work. Similarly, Dr. M. I. S. Gill, Dean of Post Graduate Studies, applauded Singh’s efforts and recognized his strong candidacy for the fellowship.
In addition, Dr. Hari Ram, Head of the Department of Agronomy, along with the entire faculty, expressed their pride and congratulated Sukhpreet Singh for his remarkable accomplishment.
This fellowship not only underscores Singh’s exceptional research capabilities but also reinforces PAU’s status as a leading institution in agricultural education and research.
