The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Villupuram farmers reap the benefits of SRI system

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Tuesday, Sep 01, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Villupuram farmers reap the benefits of SRI system

A.V.Ragunathan

It ensures optimum utilisation of water to get higher yield

— Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

Visit: Villupuram Collector R.Palanisamy inspecting a farm at Aalampoondi on Monday.

VILLUPURAM: At a time of water shortage, the system of rice intensification (SRI) being implemented through the World Bank-aided Irrigated Agricultural Modernisation and Water Bodies Restoration Project (IAMWARM) has come as a boon for farmers in the Varaha river basin in Villupuram district, says Collector R. Palanisamy.

He recently visited some of the areas in the basin, including Veedur, Alampoondi, Kootteripattu and Ginjee, to inspect the implementation of the scheme.

He told the accompanying reporters that the IAMWARM project was being implemented in 63 of the 127 sub-basins in Tamil Nadu with a total allocation of Rs.2,547 crore, of which Rs.35 crore had been earmarked for the Varaha basin, which had 236 lakes, 31 dams and a 425-km network of irrigation canals.

In coordination of the Water Users’ Association these sources were being maintained and utilised. The scheme would be in force for seven years (2007-2013).

The objectives of the project were: optimum utilisation of water to get higher yield, to make cultivation a commercially profitable venture and to take the new technologies to farmers.

With the assistance of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University paddy had been raised on 384 hectares, high-yielding groundnut on 112 ha and pulses and thorn-less bamboo on 20 ha. Through this method 40 per cent of water could be saved.

B.J. Pandian, Professor of Agronomy, TNAU, said of the target area of 7.5 lakh ha in the State 5.3 ha had been covered under the SRI system. It suited all varieties of paddy except thaladi where drainage was a problem.

The advantages of the SRI were many: it required just three kg of seeds per acre instead of 30 kg per acre in the conventional practice. Nursery raised on one cent would suffice for one acre as against eight-cent nursery in the regular practices.

Under the SRI paddy yield was nine tonnes per ha whereas in normal practice this would not exceed five tonnes per ha. Mr. Pandian said feedback from farmers was encouraging. However, they faced some difficulty in raising the nursery as it involved certain skills they were yet to acquire.

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