Shimla, Oct 13 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh will launch a statewide seed treatment and soil-testing campaign from Oct 17 to make crops free of diseases and pest infestation, an official said here Monday.
During the campaign, 25,000 soil samples will be tested and 50,000 quintals of treated rabi crop seeds will be distributed to farmers. The campaign will be on till Oct 31.
A government spokesperson told IANS that the seed campaign will be run on the analogy of the National Immunisation and Pulse Polio campaigns. Its objective is to rid crops infested with seed-borne and soil-borne diseases and insect pests.
As many as 600 seed samples will be tested in laboratories in Solan, Palampur and Mandi towns to ensure quality of agriculture inputs.
In addition, 1,000 fertiliser and 150 insecticide samples will be tested, the official said.
The state agriculture department has established 11 soil-testing labs.