K. Raju

Good response to the programme from Dindigul farmers

DINDIGUL: Introduction of simple and useful devices, which makes farm work easy and cost-effective, has made several farmers to switch over to System of Rice Intensification programme this year.

The Department of Agriculture plans to bring over 2,000 hectares under this system in Dindigul district, thanks to overwhelming response from farmers.

It would be implemented in 13 out of total 14 panchayat unions, except Kodaikanal union this year. The transplantation is in full swing in several parts of Dindigul union.

R. Kuzhandaivel, a farmer in Chettinaickanpatti village, is among some of the progressive farmers at this village, who adopted this new system. “I and my two sons have leased a land to raise paddy under the new system. I saw the demonstration plot developed in our village last year,” said Kulandaivel.

Five to eight kg of seeds per hectare instead of 50 kg in conventional system is enough to raise seedlings. Now, seedlings are ready in 15 days for transplantation, whereas we have to wait for 30 days under the old system, he added.

Yield per hectare was around 4.5 tonnes in the demonstration plot against 2.5 tonnes in the traditional method of cultivation, said L. Mayakrishnan, Agriculture Officer.

“We plan to develop three demonstration plots in Chettinaickanpatti, Thadikombu and Anaipatti this year. Similar plots will be developed in all unions.”

He has developed a marker using nylon ropes and bamboo sticks to do transplantation under Square Planting, a new system that leaves 25 cm gap between plants and helps crops produce more tillers and more ear heads and eventually better grain production, he added.

The bamboo sticks attached with ropes squares make transplantation work easy. Labour could plant seedlings in each corner of the square. At a time, they could plant three rows leaving uniform gap between plants. They need not measure the gap each time before laying. Five or seven workers would suffice to complete transplantation in one acre in a day, said Mr. Mayakrishnan.

Green leaf card, another device that suggests quantity of fertilisers to be used in each field, reduces use of fertilisers. A sturdy cono-weeder has also been developed to press weeds in hard soil area. Assistant Agriculture Officers A. Kannan and P. Sakthivel demonstrated these devices.