Agricultural scientists in the district have introduced and popularised ‘aerobic system of rice cultivation’ wherein a farmer can directly sow the seed like any other crop. The system is less labour-intensive, needs less input and less seed.
At a demonstration programme held at Reddypuram on Sunday, a local farmer’s crop which was grown using the ‘aerobic system’ was shown to about 300 farmers who had arrived here from different parts of the district.
Explaining the method, District Agriculture Technology and Transfer Centre (DATT) director R. Uma Reddy said farmers need not raise nursery and wait to get maximum yield. Also, they need not plough the land. “Using the seed drill pulled either by tractor or bulls, farmers can easily sow the seed. Due to good spacing, paddy will not develop any disease and yield will be more compared to the traditional method of cultivation,” he said.
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A farmer, Biksham, from Govindaraopet mandal said he too adopted the method and came to share his experience. “As said by Mr. Uma Reddy, the method requires only 15 kg seed per acre as against 30 kg in the traditional method,” he said. Usually, farmers raise nursery and transplant it after ploughing and watering fields. They also need labourers to transplant paddy which is expensive.
Another farmer Venkat Reddy from Kunur village in Zafargad mandal said he did not have any problem with the aerobic system of cultivation, but wanted power weeder to curb the growth of weed in the field.
Director (Extension) Raji Reddy urged the farmers to not opt for paddy crop in Rabi season, but go for green gram, jowar, maize and other crops. “If you opt for paddy, then adopt this method to save input cost and water,” he said addressing the farmers.
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Mr. Uma Reddy said the new method was very useful to the farmers.