A paddy farmer in Cumbum Pudhupatti village has got a bumper yield this year, setting a new record in yield per hectare, thanks to the application of bio-fertilizers, green manure, proper split application of chemical fertilizers and adoption of modern agriculture practices.
He has harvested 15.8 tonnes per hectare against the district average of 10 tonnes this season. It was the highest in the last one decade, said Agriculture Department officials.
Narrating the techniques adopted by him, the farmer, M. Suruli of C. Pudhupatti in Uthamapalayam block, said he gave more importance to bio-manure.
“From preparing the field to flowering and panicle stage, I used bio-fertilizers instead of chemical-based ones. Use of green manure scaled down the quantum of chemical fertilizers used. Moreover, bio-fertilizer was used for seedling dip too. At the same time, I did not stop using chemical fertilizers fully. They were used minimally based on requirement,” he said.
First, the farmer applied bio-manure before preparing the land and later he adopted in-situ ploughing, blending plants in the field to enrich soil, said Agriculture Officer I. Ambika.
Bio-manure, including herbicide, was applied at the time of transplanting, flowering and panicle stage. Micro nutrient mixture was also applied for better plant growth, she added.
Following System of Rice Intensification method and minimum use of fertilizers helped him achieve better yield, said Assistant Director of Agriculture P.R. Asokan.
Removal of weeds using coco weeder and proper spacing between tillers provided air circulation in the field, thereby increasing the number of tillers from each plant. Increase in tillers ultimately enhanced yield per plant.
Method to go a long way
His method of cultivation would be propagated among other farmers to improve paddy production in the district, he added.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/farmer-gets-paddy-yield-of-158-tonnes-per-hectare/article6653608.ece