Thoothukudi dryland cultivators begin urea topdressing for better yield

MADURAI: Several farmers relying on dryland cultivation in the Thoothukudi district have come up with topdressing of urea on standing crops for maximal growth yield.

With more rains expected in Thoothukudi district, farmers are keeping their fingers crossed over the possible impact of the northeast monsoon.

“Though the average annual rainfall for Thoothukudi is 662 mm, the northeast monsoon rainfall accounts for two-thirds of the district’s average. However, the dry land in Kovilpatti and its surrounding fields have not experienced adequate monsoon rains so far,” A Varadharajan, president, Karisal Boomi Vivasayigal Sangam, Thoothukudi said on Wednesday.

However, the farmers now have started using a mixture of urea complex potash.

Meanwhile, Varadharajan expressed his concern as the maize crop is vulnerable to pest infestation and to protect the crop from armyworm attacks, he sought the State government to provide subsidised pesticide. Over the last few years, there has been no subsidy for spraying pesticides on standing crops.

Further, he said large quantities of new and unknown pesticides have been stocked in agricultural extension centres. But even after availing themselves of such pesticide, the farmers had no knowledge of how it could be used.

Citing these, he said, “Officers from the Department of Agriculture should visit farmers and their fields and sensitise them on procedures of spraying pesticide on crops.”

Moreover, late sowing of agri crops such as black gram, green gram, bajra (cumbu), sorghum, maize and cotton and horticultural crops including coriander, chilli and onion was done in the Rabi season, which is a key part of the agricultural calendar, for the current year, he said.