Empowering the farmers on the technology of sub-surface drip fertigation system in southern Agro climatic zone of Tamil Nadu

Background
The major problem in irrigated garden lands is availability of less water for irrigation which forces the farmers to go in for a single crop during a cropping year. The lack of knowledge of sub-surface drip fertigation system to farmers, forces the farmers to go in for surface irrigated system which has much reduced water use efficiency as well as less area under irrigated agriculture. Moreover, the farmers lack the knowledge in maintenance of drip system which leads to clogging of drippers in poor quality water and thus the farmers who use this system abandon the system and going in for the traditional method of surface irrigation system for field crops.

Hence, sub-surface drip system using the low cost materials called as drip taps can be used whose cost is just 40 per cent of the normal lateral tubes. This will encourage the farmers to go in for drip system of irrigation for their garden land crops. Moreover, establishment of sub-surface drip fertigation system will increase the water use efficiency and make use of the saved water to go in for more area under irrigation as well as increase the cropping intensity.

Project rationale

• Use of low cost drip material for installation will lead to reduced cost of installation as well as make the farmers to go in for sub-surface drip fertigation system
• Sub-surface drip fertigation system gives the option for mechanical weeder and thus reduce the labour dependence and timely weeding operations
• The unit is for  a system approach and thus three crops in a year in possible

Project strategy

• Introduction of sub-surface drip fertigation system for irrigated crops on a system approach viz., Maize –Cotton - Pulse
• Introduction of pulse crop in the cropping system for ensuring food security and maintenance of soil health
• Use of ventury for fertigation of field crops
• Use of power weeder for mechanical weeding, subsequent field preparations and other intercultural operations
• Maintenance of drip  fertigation system viz., acid treatment and chlorine treatment for poor quality irrigation water
• Increasing the cropping intensity to 300 per cent

Project goals

The farmers will be empowered with the latest technology in crop production under sub-surface drip fertigated system. This will ensure food security of the region by increasing the yield of crops per unit area. Further this will increase the water use efficiency and thus the saved water through implementation of the sub-surface drip system will extend the cropped area under irrigated system of agriculture and thus could lead substantial increase in food production. Moreover the introduction pulse crop in the system will maintain the soil fertility. Further, the lowering of yield by use of poor quality water can be minimized to a greater extent

Project components

i. Field demonstrations at farmer’s field
Field demonstrations will be carried out in an area of four hectares as detailed below for imparting skill and demonstrating the technology to the farmers

S.No.	Name of the block	No. of demonstrations	Area (in ha)
1.	Melur	1	1
2.	Thirumangalam	1	1
3.	Kottampatti	1	1
4.	Vadipatti	1	1
	Total	4	4

ii. Capacity building

Capacity building involves off campus trainings, arranging exposure visits and conducting field days for the farmers including beneficiaries, farm women and water user association members

Deliverables (Supply of inputs) – 4 ha

• Supply of hybrid seed materials @ 20 kg/ha for maize, 1.0 kg/ha for cotton and green variety @ 20 kg/ha
• Supply of fertilizer both soil based fertilizer and water soluble fertilizer for the entire cropping sequence
• Supply of pulse wonder for foliar spraying
• Supply of seed treating chemicals for pulse crop
• Supply of plant protections chemicals and pheromone traps  

Note: Rs. 5000/ha is allowable as per NADP norms for pulse and water soluble
fertilizers Rs. 22,500as per NADP norms

7. Measurable outcome

• The farmers will be empowered with the latest technology in crop production under sub-surface drip fertigated system.
• Ensure food security of the region by increasing the yield of crops per unit area.
• Increase the water use efficiency and thus the saved water through implementation of the sub-surface drip system and also will extend the cropped area under irrigated system of agriculture
• The introduction pulse crop in the system will maintain the soil fertility.
• Low of yield by use of poor quality water can be minimized to a greater extent
• Increasing the cropping intensity from the present 100 per cent to 300 per cent

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 Contact:

Agrl. College and Research Institute,
Madurai- 625 104
Phone: 0452-2422956/2422252
Fax: 0452-2422785,04522260155
Email  : deanagrimdu@tnau.ac.in