In what is said to be a first-of-its-kind, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has adopted a village to disseminate the latest technologies in horticulture.
Horticultural College and Research Institute of TNAU has adopted Sattakkal Pudur in Kinathukadavu Block for a year to not only make farmers there aware of the latest technologies but also demonstrate these in their fields.
At the end of the year, the village is expected to turn into a model for farmers from other villages to emulate.
Since the village was growing horticultural crops, mainly coconut, tomato, chilli, brinjal and bindi, the institute decided to impart technologies available in horticulture.
According to T. Saraswathi, Head, Department of Vegetable Crops, the village was chosen after farmers were convinced about the concept, which was novel to them.
“The idea is to deliver all technologies in the best possible forms possible. This will include, orientation sessions, training, field demonstrations and also implementing the technologies in the farms of two or three farmers during the normal crop cycle so as to show the benefits to other farmers,” she said.
The first orientation was held recently, where a team of faculty, belonging to the different departments that come under the Institute, briefed the farmers about the various activities the university had planned for the year.
ConceptS. Mariappan, Dean in-charge, Horticultural College and Research Institute, explained the concept to the farmers, while the other faculty experts highlighted the various technologies.
A formal inauguration of the model village project would be made by K. Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor of TNAU on December 21.
Following this, regular training would be conducted for the farmers so that they are equipped to adopt a few technologies for the Thai pattam sowing in January 2014.
Experts in the university would choose a few farms of farmers to implement the technologies from sowing to harvesting, starting January next.
They would visit the village frequently for providing guidance and also support the farmers in supply of seeds and other needed infrastructure.
