Indo-Israel Agricultural Project helping farmers take up vegetable farming through poly greenhouses in Dindigul district

Dindigul

The success of technology transfer can be gauged only in the long run and so it has been with the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables, an Indo-Israel Agricultural Project under the Horticulture Department.

Established at Rediyyarchatram on 5.33 hectares in 2013, the institute acts as a prototype to showcase the use of technology in agriculture. Under the project, Israel brought in its know-how on poly greenhouses, insect proof net houses, mulching technology and advanced drip irrigation modules.

The demonstration plots within the campus have helped create awareness among the farmers on the high precision methods that give optimum yields. The steady dissemination of precision farming has also brought about a revolutionary change among the farmers in this belt and it has created an openness among traditional farmers to adopt new technologies.

On about 18 hectares of farmlands in the region, farmers have erected polyhouses and are cultivating tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers and melons.

Farmer G. Muthulakshmi showing the English cucumbers, at her poly house near Reddiyarchathiram in Dindigul district.
| Photo Credit:
KARTHIKEYAN G

Before 2015, G. Muthulakshmi and her family living near Reddiyarchathiram were growing groundnuts and shallots in their one acre farm. She had no control on the produce: predictable weather meant a good harvest or it was tough to make both ends meet. But in 2016, the centre’s outreach programme and hand-holding helped the family set up a polyhouse on half an acre.

Now, she and her son Karthikeyan, a mechanical engineer who left his lucrative job, are busy reaping success by growing English cucumbers. From half an acre, they are able to get a profit of ₹12 lakh per year.

S. Dileep, Deputy Director Horticulture, says the polyhouse technology and controlled environment have helped remove pest or pathogen infections, thus increasing yield and reducing overhead costs in the form of less use of manpower and almost nil use of insecticide and pesticides.

Satish, a researcher at the centre, points out that various technologies like portray have helped in the maximum use of seeds. As seedbeds used in this methodology are pathogen-free, the saplings are stronger and can be transplanted with very less mortality rate, he says.

Technology-driven farming practices rely on a proper fertilizer and irrigation schedule. The farms are criss-crossed by pipes that start from a control head or fertigation station. With all fertilizers being water soluble, this mechanised hub is automated and the right dose of fertilizer is discharged from the tank and then this solution through control valves passes through these pipes reaching each plant without wastage. Due to mulch covers in these farms, the moisture content is retained, weeds are arrested and growth of the crop is lush.

Though the government is giving 50 per cent subsidy for setting up polyhouses, Mr. Satish says technology and agriculture can go hand in hand for farmers who have large land holdings. In India, where the majority of farmers have small land holdings, tapping technology would come at a high cost.

To combat this, if there is a healthy farmers-producers organisation at play, then technology combined with agriculture will open more avenues in export like packaging and value-addition. It will also enable creation of infrastructure in the region like cold storage facilities that would enable the farmers to decide on the price of their produce.

Upbeat about the change slowly happening, the officials at the centre say the day is not very far when Dindigul may become an export hub for vegetables.