A 40-year-old farmer from a village in Gobichettipalayam claims he has come out with a repellent that not only keeps wild animals from damaging standing crops, but also helps enhance crop productivity.
Farmers in Gobichettipalayam, Sathyamangalam, Talavadi and Kadambur hills have to constantly chase away elephants, wild boars, rodents, deer, porcupines, gaurs, rabbits and peacocks that destroy crops at various stages and cause a huge loss. Installation of solar-powered fence, use of firecrackers, digging of trenches and even permission to shoot wild boars have not helped the farmers much in protecting the crops.
G.V. Sudarshan of Modachur village in Gobichettipalayam has come out with a repellent named “HERBOLIV” that was tested at various places for its effectiveness. He told The Hindu that the repellent consists of a bio-liquid that protected crops and enhanced yield, and was also cost-effective and environmental-friendly.
The bio-liquid is produced with the combination of botanical extracts, fermented fruit extracts and panchagavya that can be applied through foliar spray, drip irrigation and also by using innovative automatic timer-controlled sprinkler units.
A team led by P. Alagesan, Senior Scientist and Head, ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra, MYDRA at Gobichettipalayam demonstrated the bio-liquid at farm lands and said it could keep wild animals away from crops. The team also suggested further validation by a formal institution. “The bio product has been tested and certified by Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore and further incubated by Agri Business Development Unit”, said Mr. Alagesan.
