Farmers should adopt drip irrigation particularly in raising red gram through transplanted method, said M. Rajendran, Director of Agriculture.
Addressing farmers who had raised the red gram using transplanted technique at Michaelpatti near Tiruvarangulam on Monday, he said that drip irrigation would facilitate not only minimum use of water but step up productivity.
The transplanted technique could be adopted as an inter crop, he suggested.
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S.M. Shajahan, Joint Director of Agriculture, said about 368 hectares had been covered under red gram, including about 100 hectares through the transplanted technique.
At Vallavari village near Aranthangi, Mr. Rajendran advised farmers to go in for conventional minor millets particularly, ragi, cumbu, maize, and inspected the demonstration plot.
At Arasarkulam Melpathy village, also near Aranthangi, the official inspected the “CR 1009” as part of crop estimation survey which would be the basis for the crop cutting experiment.
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On the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) at Kallakurichi and Mumbalai villages near Meemisal, he said that the SRI system had improved the yield.
Mr. Shajahan explained the techniques for raising the paddy seed at Kazhugumanai village near Aranthangi where samba masoori (BPT 5204) seed had been raised on four acres of land. The Director advised the district officials to ensure prompt distribution of seeds to farmers.