A review of direct and indirect implications of laser land leveling as agriculture resource conservation technology in Punjab province of Pakistan

Drawing from the Conservation Model of Agriculture, this study reviews the direct and indirect benefits of laser land leveling in the Punjab province of Pakistan. A secondary research is done to analyze the direct impact of laser leveling on land productivity, irrigation water conservation, and irrigation water use efficiency in comparison to unleveled and traditionally leveled fields. Among the indirect outcomes, a humble effort is made to review the profits which the rural and national population of the country is accruing from the technology. A strong public commitment is found to transfer the benefits of the laser technology to the rural masses at the grassroots level. Various government initiatives such as provision of subsidized laser units to the farmers owing personal tractors and minimum of 25 acres of land, building capacity of these farmers to acquire skills for the successful operation of laser units and facilitating the availability of maintenance services for the laser technology have been well implemented. Farmers now across 31 districts of Punjab are efficiently utilizing the laser units to achieve the highest form of precision land leveling to enhance the land productivity, conserve irrigation water, boost the irrigated area, and increase the efficiency of fertilizers. Besides, these medium scale farmers after the procurement of laser units are also subletting the equipment to small scale farmers and hence, the benefits of laser technology are trickling down. Although, some farmers are confronting difficulties regarding the operational and maintenance cost of the laser units as either because of the price hike in diesel or the laser maintenance centre is situated far away from their farm fields and they have to take a journey of one to two days to access the maintenance service; overall the laser land leveling has been improving the agriculture economy of the most populated and area wise second largest province of the country.