Tamil Nadu - Others   

Farmers opt for drip irrigation

S. Prasad

Krishnagiri: Reeling under an acute drought and water scarcity, farmers in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts have opted for drip irrigation.

Dharmapuri district received 750.3 mm rainfall in 2006 as against the normal of 879.1 mm and Krishnagiri received 535.97 mm as against 830.3 mm. With nature's vagaries having its toll every year, the ground water level has also plummeted affecting small and marginal farmers in these two districts.

Realising the need for effective water conservation measures, a majority of farmers involved in the cultivation of coconut, banana, tomatoes and chillies have now switched over to drip irrigation.

At Pillayar Agraharam at Rayakottai Chinnaraj, a farmer has resorted to growing tomatoes using drip irrigation. Though the yield has multiplied the prices have not increased due to heavy arrival in the Rayakottai tomato market. The uniform application of fertilizers and conservation of water by more than 60 per cent has boosted crop yield ensuring a high crop growth he says.

Accordingly, a majority of tomato farmers at Palacode and Rayakottai have opted for drip irrigation. According to the Project Officer of Tamil Nadu Precision Farming Project M. Kannan, "farmers on seeing the advantages of drip irrigation are now coming forward to avail the facility. The conservation of water for various crops including banana, chilly, brinjal and capsicum ranges from 50 to 60 percent. Besides this, fertilizers could be supplied along with the flow of water increasing the crop yield by 60 to 100 per cent. The technology has now come in handy for farmers in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.

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