Farmers should adopt simple techniques to prevent evaporation of irrigated water from the surface soil and protect perennial and long term crops especially coconut. Mulching is best method to protect surface soil from direct sun light. Judicious use of available water and preventing evaporation will help farmers protect the crop from summer heat.
These farming techniques were explained at the Friends of Farmers meeting held at Collectorate near here on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering, Collector T.G. Vinay said farmers’ friends should act as ambassadors to take these techniques to farmers at their respective villages. Block technology manager and two assistant technology managers would assist them. The Department of Agriculture had appointed one block technology manager and two assistant technology managers for each panchayat union. Major schemes like lifting silt from PWD tanks, micro irrigation, kudimaramathu, supply of cattle feed at affordable cost and mulching in coconut farm and azola production – should reach farmers as they would help them face water crisis and summer heat. All the 180 farmers’ friends – one progressive farmer was chosen from one revenue village to act farmers’ friend – should spread the message to all farmers, he appealed.
In his technical address, Agro Engineering Department Assistant Engineer X. Britto Raj stated only four out of 20 litres was taken by the coconut plant and 10 litres evaporated owing to dry surface soil and the rest by heat generated from nearby fields. Mulching – covering surface soil around plant with weeds and husks – will prevent evaporation. Protecting land from direct sunlight will protect coconut trees from summer heat and reduce water use, he noted.
Instead of spending lakhs of rupees to dig bore wells to draw water from earth, restoration tank with little contribution would meet the irrigation needs. Offering Rs.50 from a family would suffice to raise seed money to desilt a tank under Kudimaramathu scheme. About 199 PWDs tanks were taken up for restoration in the district.
Even as the district administration permitted the farmers to lift silt free of cost from the tanks, there were no takers to lift silt from Thamaraikulam tank as the silt had accumulated over six feet spreading across two acres.
Voluntary campaign by farmers’ friends was the need of the hour to spread awareness of these measures among farmers to protect crops from heat, he advised.
Joint Director of Agriculture M. Thangasamy said that coconut has been cultivated in 30,000 hectares. Mulching would protect coconut farms. Azolla would help farmers balance cattle feed and improve milk quality. Application of two kg of seed would be sufficient to harvest five kg of azolla in 15 days, he added.
