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| The Story of Golden Wheat: Major Changes from Ancient Customs to Machine Age | | | Dr. Vijay Garg
Wheat is the land of Punjab.When golden balloons in the fields are blown by the wind, this view becomes a symbol of the year-round hard work of the farmer.Wheat is not just a crop but a story connected with our culture, customs and way of life.
In ancient times, wheat cultivation was completely traditional.Everything from sowing to harvesting was done by hand.The land was tilled with plow, the seeds were sprinkled and a canal or well was used for watering.At the time of harvest all family members got together and cut the wheat with trees.This was not only a time of hard work but also of happiness and harmony.
The relationship between Punjab’s land and wheat goes back centuries.What we call ‘gold’ today has had a long and interesting journey in the past few decades.From the sounds of the fields to the noise of the combines, the story of wheat is an amazing example of human endeavour and scientific progress.
Old-fashioned: a symbol of effort and sharing In ancient times, wheat cultivation was not just a profession, but more like a festival.The main aspects of that time were: Couple of oxen: The plowing of the fields was done with the help of wooden plows and bulls.The farmers went out to the fields only in the early darkness. Hand-seeding: Seeds were hand-seeded or through ‘pouring”. Donkey’s echo: In the days of harvest, the whole village helped each other. The donkeys were in long lines and wheat was harvested and ‘barrels’ were tied up. Pollen and sorghum: The kernels were tied behind the bolts to extract the wheat, and then the grains were separated by beading according to the wind.
Green Revolution: A Big Turnaround The Green Revolution of the 1960s changed everything.The advent of Mexican varieties caused a tremendous increase in shrubs. “From the fear of starvation, India was flooded with stocks of grain, and the biggest credit for this went to the farmers of Punjab”.
The Machine Age: Speed and Convenience The agricultural landscape has changed completely in the present era: Tractors and super cedar: Now the work of weeks is done in hours.It has become possible to plant parsley without burning it with machines such as Super Cedar. Combine Harvester: Where it used to take a month to harvest and cull, now the combines clear the fields in just a few minutes. Drones and technology: Now the technology of spraying fertilizers and pesticides through drones is spreading.
The cultivation of wheat was also a different process.Cats were collected and sowed with bales that the grains could be separated.The chaff and grain were then thrown into the air and separated.All these tasks took a lot of time, but there was also a sense of sharing and cooperation.
The advent of the machine age has brought major changes to wheat cultivation.Now fields are planted with tractors,seeds are sown by seed drill and harvesting is done in one go with a combine harvester.This saves both time and effort and increases production too.
But with this progress, some challenges have also surfaced.The use of machines has increased spending and it is not easy for small farmers to purchase these machines.Moreover, the high use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has also affected soil fertility and ecology.
Today, we need to strike a balance between old customs and new technology.Where convenience and production are increased with machines, we should also give importance to the industrial methods and soil health.
Ultimately, this story of Golden Wheat tells us that change over time is necessary, but our roots and traditions must not be forgotten.This same balance can lead us to a stable and prosperous farming system in the future.
Dr. Vijay Garg Retired Principal Educational Columnist Malout Punjab |
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