Crop Production
Crop Protection
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Sustainable Agriculture
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Post Harvest Technology
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Bio-Fuels

Success Stories

Cases of large scale adoption

1. Direct sown paddy through Drum seeder

The labour scarcity for transplanting led to use of drum seeders for direct sown  paddy in Trichy district. The farmers shown greater interest in adopting direct paddy seeding technology due to shortage of labourers   during peak season.  The 8 row paddy seeder developed  by TNAU  was demonstrated in E. vellanur of Lalgudi taluk  for direct sowing paddy in 25 acres in kharif season  of 2006-07. Based upon their experiences,  the farmers have themselves fabricated  5 numbers of paddy drum seeder replica of TNAU model in local workshop for their own use. Based upon the success, farmers   from nearby villages have purchased  five drum  seeder from TNAU, Coimbatore for their use.  The direct sown paddy through drum seeder  has attracted all categories of farmers due to easy  operation, less weight, line sowing with less seed rate ( 8 kg / acre) more tillers, early maturity etc., apart  from savings in  transplanting cost. The line sowing of paddy  has also  helped the farmers  to utilise  cono weeder  for weeding. The drum seeder  available at KVK  is also  used by farmers of Jeeyapuram, Nagar and other parts of Tiruchirappalli districts.

2. Alternate crops
           
The water  scarcity due to erratic monsoon , over exploitation  of ground water  led to  introducing alternate  crops such as maize and sunflower in dry areas of Thuraiyur , Manapparai and Mannachanallur taluks of  Trichy district. Under Oilseeds and pulses , KVK, Trichy  laid out large scale demonstrations  with sunflower (TCSH1) in Nagalapuram  village of  Thuraiyur taluk during 2006 -07.  Based upon the success  sunflower has spread  in more than 20 ha in other parts of the district due to ready market  and  net profit of Rs. 20,000 per hectare. The Sunflower varieties are in cultivation during kharif season in problem soil and irrigated with poor quality water in Manikandam block of Trichy district due to its alkali tolerance. Off campus training  was conducted in  E.Mathur village of srirangam taluk  based upon which 10 farmers have cultivated Sunflower CO4 variety in more than 15 acres.

Similarly maize hybrid  COH ( M) 5  as alternate crops was demonstrated  as FLD during 2006 -07, in rainfed  black soils of Siruganur area of  Mannachanallur taluk. Based upon  the success and higher net profit, TNAU maize hybrid has spread  in more than 50 acres in Mannchanallur taluk. To scale up the area under maize  a farmers Field School on IPM in Maize is under progress.

3. SRI Technolgy  in Paddy cultivation

The System of Rice Intensification ( SRI)  technology  is a new rice cultivation practice with  reduced  water requirement and higher productivity of more than  20%. The major technologies contemplated  in this system are :
i). Transplanting of young seedlings (between 10n- 14 days)
ii).Wider spacing of 22.5 x 22.5 cm or more with one  seedling per hill
iii). Water management with alternate wetting and drying
iv). Early and frequent weeding up to 4 times with conoweeder
v). N management   through LCC

Based upon the trainings and method demonstrations organised by this KVK on SRI Technology from 2005 -06 , more than 90 ha  in   Lalgudi, Manikandam and Mannachanallur blocks  of Trichy districts were  under SRI  especially  during kharif season and the  farmers are convinced about the advantages of SRI method of  rice cultivation.

4. Inland aquaculture
Based upon the trainings and field visit organised by this KVK during May- July 2007 with sponsorship from NFDB, Hyderabad about 124 farmers and 54 extension functionaries were trained on inland aquaculture as component of Integrated farming system. Based upon the trainings KVK could inventorise  successful practicing farmers of inland aquaculture viz., Mr. Sivarajan, Nerkuppai, Mr. Thandapani, Asoor, Mr. Fedrick Nicson, Mettupatti and another 5 more farmers. As a follow up of the training Mr. S.K.Selvanathan of Melaperungavoor had started in land aquaculture in one acre pond.

As a followup, based upon our proposal, two more training on “Intensive Aquaculture” has been sanctioned with a budget outlay of Rs. 1.5 lakhs.
 

5. Reclamation  of alkali soil with distillery spent wash

            The use of distillery spent wash (DSW- Industrial effluent  from alcohol industry with acidic pH  3.8 – 4.0) for reclamation of alkali soil  was demonstrated to farmers of Manikandam block in an off campus  training. Based upon  that about 25 farmers have used distillery spent wash  for reclamation of alkali soils during May,2007.

The technologies  prescribed are :

           The reclamation of alkali soil with DSW have doubled the rice yields from  2.5  t /ha  to 5.0 t /ha . This technology is applicable in a radius of 25 km from distillery units of Tamil Nadu. This technology paved the way for eco friendly  disposal  of distillery spent wash as a substitute for gypsum  for  the reclamation of alkali soils.

Cultivator Turned Mega Seed Distributor

The institutional agencies of the Govt. could satisfy around twenty per cent of the seed requirement. The remaining seed requirement is fulfilled by the farmers’ own seeds. The predominant factor which determines the productivity of rice is purity of seeds. The government of India, through a centrally sponsored scheme “Strengthening of Quality Seed Production in coarse grain crops” supported KVK for equipping the farmer of Tiruchirappalli District during 2006-2008. KVK took up the venture and the concept was ‘Developing Seed Villages’ in Rice, Pulses and Oilseeds.

The intervention of KVK included identification of nine villages for rice, six villages for blackgram and four villages for sesame. In each village clusters, 50 farmers were selected and supplied with either foundation seeds or certified seeds  for an acre at 50 per cent subsidized cost. This is the first stage of intervention made by KVK and around 11 tonnes of paddy seeds of varieties ADT 43, ADT 36, ADT 45, ADT 39, CO 49, White ponni and BPT 5204 in Kharif and Rabi seasons of 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, were supplied.

As the second intervention, the selected farmers from seed clusters were trained on seed production techniques at three stages of crop growth viz., raising nursery planting and at harvest. The technologies such as seed treatment, rogueing harvesting at physiological maturity, processing and storage were demonstrated by the scientists of KVK at various stages and the farmers were equipped in Quality Seed Production.

KVK identified the village ‘Tirumangalam’ of Lalgudi Taluk where Th.N. Rajagopal was one of the beneficiaries among the fifty farmers selected in Tirumangalam cluster. Initially 24 kg of BPT 5204 known as ‘Andhra Ponni’ locally and 24 kg of Co 43 seeds were supplied to him along with other farmers. He was trained on seed production techniques as stated above. Because of the involvement and innovation made by KVK, he has sown these seeds in two acres from which he harvested 2000kg of BPT.5204 seeds and 1900 kg of Co43 seeds. Then he distributed these seeds to around 900 farmers for raising BPT.5204 under SRI method of cultivation. Similarly with 1900 kg of Co 43 seeds, he supplied seeds to around 750 farmers at the rate of 2 kg per acre under SRI method and the remaining quantity of BPT.5204 to 10 farmers and Co43 to 20 farmers under conventional method of cultivation.

With just 24 kg each of BPT 5204 and Co43 seeds supplied by KVK, Mr. N.Rajagopal could make tremendous efforts in multiplying the seeds to cover an  area of 1650 acres of BPT 5204 and Co43 under SRI throughout the District and 30 acres under conventional cultivation.

Th. Rajagopal not only supplied the quality seeds to around 1680 farmers, but also trained them in his farm to produce quality seeds from the seeds supplied by him. He advised all the farmers to raise the crops as per the seed certification standards with the help of the officials of the Department of Seed Certification and KVK.
Because of the effective implementation of Seed Village Scheme in Trichy District through the progress made by successful entrepreneur Mr. Rajagopal approximately 1100 tonnes of Co 43 seeds are available with the farmers. These quality seeds can be distributed to 27,500 acres in BPT 5204 and 23,125 acres in Co43 even if 50 per cent of the seeds are used for grain consumption.

Hence, through the KVK’s intervention of identifying the approximate seed cluster andmotivating a cultivator like Th. Rajagopal of Tirumangalam, the lateral spread of the availability of quality seeds of rice hasincreased from 2 acres to 1680 acres in the subsequent season and then to 50,625 acres. The value of the seeds ,thus produced is 15.19 million rupees.

Th. Rajagopal apart from producing quality seeds, has established the seed processing unitat a cost of 40 lakhs rupees in the neighbouring ‘Nagar’ village on a collaborative manner with other progressive seed producers.
Considering his involvement in agriculture related activities for the society, the NABARD sanctioned a ‘Retail Outlet’ to the ‘Nagar Farmers Club’ in which Th. Rajagopal is the active member. Through this club Th. Rajagopal along with other farmers, market their producers such asvermicompost, Panchakavya, neemcake, etc., apart from quality seed produced, processed and branded as ‘Manickam seeds’. Th. Rajagopal has been acting as the liasoning representative for KVK in the process of transfer of technology in Lalgudi Taluk.
In recognition of his services Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has awarded Th. Rajagopal with “BEST SRI FARMER” during the SRI International Workshop organized at Coimbatore during Dec. 2008.

Leading Fish and Fingerlings producer in Trichy District

In India, the production from inland aquaculture has gone up to 3.3 million tonnes of which 85 per cent is contributed by carps, cat fish and prawn are the important component of culture practices in the economy.

In Tiruchirappalli District of Tamil Nadu which is 100 km away from the sea shore, Inland Aquaculture with Indian carps is practised only in smaller scale by a few farmers though it is economically sound technology with heavy demand for fish in the market. Hence an attempt was made by this KVK to create awareness among the farmer about inland aquaculture which can be taken up in farm ponds or public tanks.

Growing 6 acres of Sugarcane var.COC 86032 and supplying to the nearby Kothari Sugars was the main occupation for Th.Nickson and his father. After attending a training programme and further exposure to Inland Aquaculture activities by this KVK through National Fisheries Development Board’s funding support  to this KVK, Th.Nickson has grown as an Fisheries Expert owning around 3 acres of Fish ponds in Metupatty village, 6 KM away from Lalgudi. As there was a great demand from the public for fresh carps (Catla, Rohu and Mirgal), he got regular income through this new enterprise. Maintaining nursery ponds and supplying fingerlings to the fellow aquaculturists, rearing fish of composite culture and selling at spot, evaluating different low cost feed for fish, using Panchkavvya even for fish are some of his innovative ideas which had given him much results.

He has purchased 1.5 acres of adjoining lands from the profit he earned through aquaculture in two years and the entire success story was documented and telecasted thro’ Doordarshan arranged by this KVK.  Moreover, he used to share his experiences to the budding exntrepreneurs, in the Inland Aquaculture Training programmes organized by the KVK. Serving as a member of Tamil Nadu State Aquaculturists Forum, he gives many innovative ideas for the policy makers to make the Inland Aquaculture lucrative in future.