Tamil Nadu Agricultural University's Cotton Research Station (CRS) at Veppanthattai in Perambalur district has developed a horticultural model for dryland vertisols of this region, whereby various dryland fruit trees like ber, jamun, fig, guava, and pomegranate are grown under Alley Cropping System.
In the alley or interspace, cotton is grown during North East monsoon season to utilise the land and to increase the productivity.
Thus, sustained and steady growth may be attained in the rural households, S. Somasundaram, Head of CRS Veppanthattai, said.
Mulching with crop residues is practised during the summer season to reduce water loss from the field, Sakthivel, Assistant Professor - plant breeding, explained.
Crops like ragi, thenai, kudarivali etc may also be grown in the interspace or alley alongside cotton, he said.
The TNAU has been emphasising that sustainable livelihood security is the top priority for the dryland farmers of Tamil Nadu.
Particularly, it is very important for climatically vulnerable dryland regions like Perambalur district, where 80 per cent of the land holding is dryland depending on 877 mm of annual rainfall which is also highly erratic.
Against this backdrop, horticultural system will ensure income throughout the year, said Ambethgar, Director, Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute.
By earmarking a small portion of land for planting dryland horticultural fruit trees, farmers can increase the net income of the farm, Prof. Ambethgar said.
