Tamil Nadu - Vellore   

“Adopt SRI method of paddy cultivation”

VELLORE: Collector Dharmendra Pratap Yadav has advised the farmers to adopt the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation. This, he said, would increase productivity by minimising the use of water for irrigation and help them tackle the problem of groundwater depletion owing to deficiency in rainfall.

Presiding over the monthly agriculturists’ grievances day meeting at the Collectorate here on Friday, Mr. Yadav said that by adopting the SRI method, farmers could obtain a yield of 10 tonnes of paddy per acre.

The extension staff of the Agriculture Department would guide the farmers to adopt the system by carrying out demonstrations in their fields. Farmers should also go in for other methods of water conservation such as drip irrigation and recharge of farm wells by digging dug wells near them, he said.

M. Madhesan, Joint Director of Agriculture, said nurseries that were eight days to 14 days old, should be transplanted to the fields under the SRI method. It would be sufficient to use two kg of seeds per acre. Farmers should not allow water to stagnate around the crop as it would deprive the roots of the much-needed oxygen. Weeds could be removed using the ‘konaweeder’ machine. The Agriculture Department has set a target of bringing 18,000 hectares of land under the SRI system in Vellore district. Farmers cultivating paddy under the system should get the fact mentioned in the ‘adangal’ (document containing the details of their agricultural land) to claim the benefits available to SRI farmers, Mr. Madhesan said.

Under the seed village scheme, the Agriculture Department supplied seeds to the farmers at 50 per cent subsidy to encourage them to produce certified seeds for supply to the department for ultimate distribution to farmers.

The seed village farmers could also supply the seeds produced by them to fellow farmers. The department would undertake 40 cluster demonstrations in the district at the cost of Rs.6.8 lakh this year to popularise the seed village concept, he said.

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