India-Thanjavur-System of Rice Intensification takes less water

Special Correspondent
Boopathi promises high-yield seedlings from TNAU 

THANJAVUR: System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation is the right choice for increasing the productivity of rice, said P. Murugesa Boopathi, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, here recently.

Speaking at the field day held at Soil and Water Management Research Institute at Kattuthottam, the Vice-Chancellor said that SRI helped in using less water and increase productivity.

Dr. Boopathi outlined the prevailing agricultural crisis and stressed the measures that were needed to tackle the problem of soil health, water and labour scarcity.

Soil health

He advised the farmers to improve soil health after testing the soil and water samples periodically and to go in for micro irrigation methods to mitigate the ill effects of irrigation water constraint.

As a solution to the farmers’ query on the drudgery in manual transplanting, he highlighted the use of rice transplanter. In this regard, he declared that to help the farming community, Research stations of TNAU would produce high yielding rice seedlings of short, medium and long durations suited for machine transplanting and supply those at Rs. 3,000 per acre.

He requested the farmers to make use of implements of Soil and Water Management Research Institute such as transplanter, drum seeder and threshers which are let out. The hire charges are nominal _ Rs. 1,000 per day for a four row transplanter, Rs. 50 a day for drum seeder and Rs. 350 per metric tonne for the multi crop thresher.

Drawing the attention of the farmers to tree planting, Dr. Boopathi suggested Mahogany, Kumil teak, Red sanders, Silver oak and Bamboo as ideal tree species for Cauvery delta zone. During the field visit of ongoing research projects being conducted by scientists of the station, he stressed that the approach should be on need based, demand driven and relevant different farm situation and to aim at needs of stakeholders-farmers and public.

Exhibition

The Vice-Chancellor declared open the exhibition of farm implements and machineries, mini medicinal plant park and farm workers rest room. About 500 farmers and officials from the line service departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries and Agriculture engineering and Agro development agencies participated.

Transplanter, power weeder, multi crop thresher were some of the vital farm implements exhibited. Farmers witnessed demonstrations on mechanical transplanting with transplanter, usage of power weeder and threshing machines. A mobile soil testing laboratory tested the soil and water samples brought by the farmers. Soil health cards were given on the spot to about 300 farmers, said a press release issued here on Friday.

From THE HINDU