Panicles are showing up in the ASD - 16 variety paddy crop raised by farmers in Uthandipalayam in Ganapathipalayam panchayat in the district through System of Rice Intensification method.
And the timing was apt for Agriculture Department to initiate them into pest management practices.
The Farmers’ Field School conducted under the aegis of Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) was handy for the department to orient the farmers to the best practices. A group of farmers engaged in the fourth of the six training modules on Wednesday was, at the end, able to make out the difference between good and bad pests. They depicted the paddy plant, the sunlight, the good pests and bad pests.
Making farmers understand the utility of certain pests in eliminating bad ones so as to avoid usage of pesticides to maximum possible extent is one of the important objectives of the school, said Kulandaivelu, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Modakurichi block.
