In an effort to keep water usage optimum, farmers in districts including Kancheepuram and Villupuram are opting for plastic mulch sheets. Such sheets, when laid over drip irrigation lines, limit water evaporation and prevent the growth of weeds. De-weeding is quite expensive if farming is not family-based and weeds also use up the nutrients in the soil, explained sources in the Agriculture Department.
“Both short-term and long-term crops including vegetables and fruits can be grown using this method. For short-term crops, sheets of 30 to 50 micron thickness sheets can be used. For fruits like mangoes and sapotas, sheets of 100 micron thickness should be used as they need to last longer,” explained N. Ram Subramani, a farmer of Walajabad.
He has been growing fruits and vegetables using plastic mulch sheets obtained from Ahmedabad and Hosur. The sheets cost Rs. 14,000 per acre but cannot be re-used once removed. Every two feet, holes are made in the sheet and seeds inserted into the soil.
The advantage is that water usage is very minimal. The heat also helps the fast growth of fruits, said a farmer of Kancheepuram. K. Balakrishnan and K. Baskaran of Kancheepuram say they have been using the sheets for the past 4 years now since they offer a huge savings on labour costs as well. “This method lets us do farming with minimal hands. We manage the farm on our own. Because of drip irrigation, we don’t need people for watering the plants. For every crop, we would have to spend Rs. 5,000 per acre for de-weeding and Rs. 600 per day for watering. With the same amount of water, we can grow crops on three more acres,” explained Mr. Balakrishnan.
Farmers are using plastic mulch sheets to save on water utilisation
