Friday, June 10, 2016

Study on raising paddy under drip irrigation


NEW WORK:P. Pandiyarajan (left), Dean, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchi, examining a drip irrigation technique in rice on Thursday.— Photo: A. Muralitharan
NEW WORK:P. Pandiyarajan (left), Dean, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchi, examining a drip irrigation technique in rice on Thursday.— Photo: A. Muralitharan
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University – Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Centre near here, has taken up research on raising paddy through drip irrigation under a project funded by an Israeli company.
Titled, ‘Feasibility of growing rice under drip irrigation’, the experiment has been taken close to the ‘kuruvai’ season and scientists have planted four varieties ‘TRY II’, ‘ADT 45’, ‘ADT 36’ and ‘Anna (R) 4’ for ascertaining the growth of paddy in saline fields on the campus of the institute.
The institute, located in the Manikandam block, has taken up various research programmes on evolving paddy varieties suitable for sodic soil. Netafim’, an Israeli company specialising in drip irrigation technique, had sanctioned Rs. 4 lakh to the tnstitute to take up the research, said P. Pandiyarajan, Dean of the Institute.
Speaking to The Hindu after inaugurating the programme, Mr. Pandiyarajan said that this was the first time the institute had taken up the research using drip irrigation technique, although similar experiments had been conducted at Aduthurai and other places. About 2 kg of seeds was used for each variety. He said that the experiment would include study on nutrient management, irrigation management and good cultivation practices. The entire 60 cents of the field has been covered with over 77 laterals, each of 50 metre in length. “Each lateral contains 130 holes or drip spacing through which water and water-soluble fertiliser will be supplied,” he said.
T. Ramesh, Assistant Professor of Agronomy, who has been coordinating the programme, said all parameters including the rainfall received during the research period, climatic change will be closely monitored. In addition, a few cultures which are under research had been included for the research. The growth of the plant with fertiliser, without fertiliser, with nitrogen, with less nitrogen would be analysed.
The research will be a boon to farmers getting inadequate water for irrigation. It will guide the farmers with abundant availability of water to utilise the resource judiciously. “These are the other objectives of the programme,” he said .

Source : The Hindu 

No comments:

Post a Comment