THE ORGANISATION

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University established a Regional Research Station at Aruppukottai during July 1981 to cater to the needs of farmers and offer solutions to the location specific problems in the southern agro-climatic zone comprising of Virudhunagar, Tuticorin, Ramnad, Sivagangai, Tirunelveli and part of Madurai, Dindigul and Pudukottai districts. This station being the lead Centre for dry land crops, it co-ordinates research activities with the Agriculture, Horticulture colleges and Research Stations located in the aforesaid districts.

OBJECTIVE

LOCATION AND PHYSIOGRAPHY

This station is located near Kovilangulam about 43 km south of Madurai on Madurai - Tuticorin high way.  Its location stands at 9°31' to 9°47' North latitude and 77°57'  to 78°56' East longitude and the altitude is 50m above MSL.  The climate of the region is semi-arid tropic with an average annual rainfall of 790 mm in 45 rainy days.  The total area of the station is 82 ha.  The station is having black soil, the depth ranging from 0.6 to 1.2 m.  The soil group is vertisol with clay loam and underlying cankar nodules.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Plant Breeding and Genetics

• Identification and evaluation of superior genotypes of sorghum, pearlmillet, varagu, cotton, blackgram, sunflower, sesame and redgram under rainfed dry vertisol.
  
• Development of high yielding and superior genotype of APK 1 redgram, blackgram, varagu and sorghum suitable for dryland condition.
  
• Production of Breeder seed in sorghum, blackgram, redgram and varagu.
  
• Demonstration of superior performance of identified cultures in farmers' field.

Agronomy

• Integrated weed management in sorghum intercrop with cowpea under dryland condition.
  
• Alley cropping system studies on dryland vertisol
  
• Weather response cotton farming
  
• Integrated farming system for rainfed vertisol.

Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry

• Studies in integrated nutrient management in rainfed millets, pulses, chillies, coriander, sapota and cotton.
  
• Studies on nutritional disorders and their management practices in Ber, Jasmine and Guava in Virudhunagar district.

Agrl. Entomology

• Studies on the effect of plant products on the pod border complex of redgram
  
• Screening of cotton, millets and pulses genotypes against major pests.
  
• Demonstration of IPM in cotton under dryland condition.

Plant Pathology:

• Integrated disease management of green ear disease in pearl millet.
  
• Studies on the management of viral diseases in pulses.
  
• Development of cultures of Oyster Mushroom (APK 1) and APK 2 Milky Mushroom from pathology lab.
  
• Integrated disease management of ber, custard apple and Aonla

Seed Technology:

• Development of seed management practices for cotton, millets and pulses of rainfed condition.
  
• Development of seed hardening technique for pulses, millets and cotton.
  
• Seed technological studies in senna
  
• Quality seed production in desmanthus under rainfed condition

Horticulture:

• Evaluation of germplasm of ber, pomegranate, Custard apple, Jamun, fig, coriander, tamarind, aonla and indigenous fruit flora under rainfed vertisol.
  
• Use of bio fertilizers in custard apple.
  
• Weed management in ber.
  
• Commercial production of grafts/budded plants of arid and semi arid fruit crops.

Agrl. Microbiology:

Screening of thermotolerant Rhizobium and Azospirillum for millets and pulses under dryland condition.

Agrl. Extension:

• Socio economic impact of Integrated farming system on dryland farmers- A case study approach.

Agrl. Economics

• An economic analysis of national watershed development programme for Virudhunagar district.

Agrl. Engineering:

• Development of skimming well technique in coastal saline ground water in Ramnad district.

TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED

I. CROP MANAGEMENT

• Pre-monsoon sowing of sorghum, maize, redgram by first fortnight of September is optimum sowing time in Aruppukottai tract.
  
• Application of FYM @ 12.5 t/ha and soil application of 2 kg Azospirillum with 40:20:0 kg NPK/ha is the suitable integrated nutrient management system for sorghum based cowpea intercropping system in rainfed situation.
  
• Pre-emergence application of Butachlor @ 1.0 kg ai/ha has effective in weed control in cotton+blackgram based intercropping system in rainfed vertisol.
  
• Application of pre-emergence herbicide Fenthiocarb @ 1.5 kg ai/ha+ one hand weeding on 40th day control the weeds effectively in rainfed cotton.
  
• An espacement of 8 x 3 m for the ber cultivar Banarsi and 8.4 m for Kaithali is recommended for high density planting under rainfed condition.

II. CROP PROTECTION

• Intercropping in cotton with clusterbeans (2:1) reduced the leafhopper incidence by 50 per cent.
  
• IPM practices developed for rainfed cotton and for controlling of ber fruitfly.
  
• In sunflower, seed treatment with T.harzianum @ 4 g/kg and presowing application of FYM @ 1 ton/ha reduced the charcoal rot.
  
• Dipping the ber fruits for 10 minutes in Sodium Chloride 2% or Potassium metabisulphite 3% or Carbendazim 0.1% before storage reduced the post-harvest rotting of ber fruits.

III. INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM

Integrated Farming System with crop component (Cotton, Sorghum,Pulses), horticultural component (Ber, Amla, Custard apple) and animal component of Tellicherry goat (5+1) is found suitable for rainfed vertisol for higher income.

IV. SOIL MOISTURE CONSERVATION

• Vetiver, cenchrus are found suitable for vegetative hedges under rainfed situation.
  
• Vetiver slips are to be planted within 24 hours of uprooting and root dipping either in Azospirillum or in 5% Glucose solution for better establishment.
  
• Vetiver slips are to be planted at 15-20 cm spacing in zig-zag manner for effective soil moisture conservation and higher yield.

V. AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

• Tractor drawn cultivator and seed planter found to be highly suitable for the vertisol.
  
• Broad bed and furrow farming performed better in conserving soil moisture.
  
• Chiesel plough followed by one disc plough and one disc plough and one harrow plough contributed higher yield in sorghum

VI. SOCIAL SCIENCES

• Chillies have prominent channel to market the produce in southern agro climatic situation.  It is a best alternate crop for cotton in vertisol areas of southern zone.
  
• Uncertainty and risks in agriculture changes occupational pattern in rainfed tract. Only 3.8% of total population involved in agriculture.
  
• Economic viability of Sapota and anola crops are high under vertisols of southern zone.

VII. FORESTRY

• Neem selection from Therboki, Ramnad was found suitable for rainfed vertisol.
  
• Planting of Acacia leucophoea (velval) at 5 x 5 m espacement was optimum for getting higher biomass under Agroforestry system in rainfed situation.
  
• Subabul or Desmanthus can be used for formation of alleys under food-fodder production systems in rainfed vertisol.
  
• Growing fodder sorghum in the interspace of sesbania or neem or acacia tree component is a suitable silvi-pastoral system for fodder production in rainfed situation

VARIETIES RELEASED FROM THIS STATION

1.APK.1 VARAGU

• Released during 1991
  
• Duration : 110-120 days
  
• Yield: 1800 - 4200 kg/ha

2.APK-1 BLACKGRAM

• Released during 1993
  
• Duration 60 days
  
• Suitable for intercropping with cotton

3.APK-1 OYSTER MUSHROOM

• Released during 1995
  
• Mushroom appear in about 7-12 days
  
• Keeping quality : 72 hours
  
• Fibre content : 56%
  
• Yield : 910 gm/bed

4.APK-1 CHOLAM

• Released during 1996
  
• Duration 105 days
  
• Non - lodging type
  
• Yield : 3500 kg/ha

5.APK-2 MILKY MUSHROOM

• Released during 1997
  
• Duration : 40-45
  
• Shelf life : 3 to 5 days
  
• Protein Content : 32.3%
  
• Yield : 356 gm/bed

6.APK -1 REDGRAM

• Released during 1999
  
• Short duration : 95-105 days
• High yielding type suitable for all seasons
  
• Resistant to YMV, suitable for inter cropping
  
• Yield : 867 kg/ha

7.APK (Ca) 1 CUSTARD APPLE

• Released during 2003
  
• Yield potential : 14.9 kg/tree
  
• Number of fruits : 72 / tree
  
• Medium sized, heart shaped fruits
  
• TSS 24.5° brix
  
• Tolerant to drought

Contact:

Professor and Head
Regional Research Station,
Kovilangulam (Post),
Aruppukkottai - 626 101. 
Virudhunagar.
Phone: 04566-220562
Fax: 04566-227641
Email :arsapk@tnau.ac.in