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The institute’s research farms and outreach stations are strategically located in different agro-ecological regions for tackling diverse aspects of soil and water salinity problems
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A research farm of 82 ha located at
the Main Institute, Karnal is laid out in standard plot sizes having ideal water management system through underground conveyance system and lined irrigation channels. There are eight submersible tubewells to meet the irrigation and other water requirements. The farm is fully equipped with latest machinery and implements.
To achieve the optimization of irrigation water and other inputs, all the plots are precisely leveled with laser leveler at regular intervals. Experimental crops are grown on 20.6 ha area, while general crops are grown in 16.9 ha, which also includes the 9 ha area put under seed production mainly of salt tolerant varieties of rice, wheat and mustard.
To optimize crop yields and profits in farming as well as to reduce the emission of green house gases, conservation agriculture is practiced in large fields. Agro-forestry system is practiced on 6.5 ha area of the farm, where multipurpose tree species have been planted in combination with arable crops of the region. The area under fruit crops such as ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.), aonla (Emblica officinalis L.), jamun (Syzygium cumini L.), guava (Psidium guajava L.), litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) and mango (Mangifera indica) is 7.8 ha. An herbal garden consisting of 85 species of medicinal/ aromatic herbs, shrubs and trees has also been established and maintained in an area of 1.4 ha, besides fishes are reared in three ponds covering about 2.5 ha area. The 27.3 ha area of the farm is permanently covered under glass house, net houses, micro-plots, laboratories, offices, residences, oxidation pond, roads and landscape.
Nain Farm
An experimental farm of ~30 acres has been acquired in Nain village (Distt. Panipat) to demonstrate the field applications of technologies developed by CSSRI for reclamation of waterlogged saline and sodic soils and use of marginal to poor quality water for enhancing crop yield. The farm is located in 12.5 km south of Madlauda sub-tehsil, 20 km south-west of Panipat city and 60 km south of CSSRI, Karnal.
Past Outreach Farms
Over the years, the institute established research farms at Gudha (Distt. Karnal) for researches on highly alkaline soils, Gohana (Distt. Sonepat), and Sampla (Distt. Rohtak) representing waterlogged saline soils and Mundlana (Distt. Sonepat) for saline-sodic soils.
Research on efficient utilization of alkali waters for irrigation was undertaken at Bhaini Majra farm (Distt. Kaithal) while researches on agro-forestry were conducted at Sarswati forest at Bichhian (Distt. Kurukshetra).
Studies on the reclamation of calcareous saline soils are being conducted at Bir Reserve Forest at Hisar and on waterlogged areas at village Puthi (Distt. Hisar).
Experimental Farms at Regional Stations
- The institute’s farms at Regional Research Station at Canning Town (West Bengal), Samni (Gujarat) and Shivri (Uttar Pradesh) represents coastal saline soils, vertisols and heavy textured sodic soils with high water table conditions, respectively
