Organic farming in coimbatore villages

Scientists should strive to promote organic farming concepts in villages, S. Natarajan, Director, Centre for Soil and Crop Management Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, said here recently.

Sensitisation


Inaugurating a two-day training in organic farming for scientists at the university, he said that they should be sensitised to the concepts and components of organic farming in order to motivate the farmers to take it up.

SRI method


“There is a need for maintaining soil health and producing quality farm products. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method that can be well integrated with organic farming should also be impressed upon the farmers,” he added.

M.V. Ranghaswami, Director, Water Technology Centre, TNAU, explained about the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water Bodies Restoration and Management project funded by the World Bank and implemented by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Key activities


“Promotion of organic farming is one of the key activities of the project. It aims to give widespread awareness about the utilisation of organic manures, green manures, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides in crop cultivation,” he said.

Cluster basis


The project would be promoted in a cluster basis (20 hectares) in each sub-basin and a nodal village would be converted under organic farming under each sub-basin, Dr. Ranghaswami added.