TIRUCHI: The paddy cultivated on a research field by the students of Tamil Nadu Agriucltural University (TNAU) - Anbil Dharmaigam Agricultural College and Research Institute at Navalur Kuttapattu near here, has registered a fall both in terms of yield and quality following the failure of North East monsoon.
The college is located in sodic-affected fields in Manikandam block . However, during every North East monsoon, the salt content in the soil got diluted favouring the growth of paddy. Last year, due to failure of monsoon, the salt content rose up to the fields and thereby affected the growth of the plant.
The paddy of “TRY (R) 3” variety raised on about three acres, contained less number of productive tillers and consequently less number of grains. “Against the normal 6 tonnes an acre, the yield will be just 5.2 tonnes this season,” said P. Pandiyarajan, Dean of the Institute.
He said that although the showers realised by the first week of December due to Vaardha cyclone had raised some hope for reviving the growth of paddy plants, the total failure of the monsoon had brought down the yield.
“It is during November that the plant registers maximum growth every year. But, there was no showers all through November last year,” said T. Ramesh, Assistant Professor of Agronomy, who has been closely monitoring the growth of the paddy raised during the ‘samba’ season.
G. Srinivasan, Head of Department of Agronomy, said that against the normal height of 150 cm, the plant registered a height up to 105 cm, he said.
