There has been a growing awareness among farmers in raising green manure for enriching the fertility of the soil.
A farmer of Peruvalanallur in Lalgudi block, V. Padmanabhan, a retired PWD Executive Engineer, said that he raised green manure — daincha — on 13 acres, for use in his paddy fields. Another farmer, P. Sampathkumar of the village said that it was only recently that farmers have been resorting to adoption of green manure. He said that nitrogen fixation was a major advantage of daincha.
The farmers of Lalgudi block said absence of summer showers had brought down the growth of the green manure. However, they had managed its growth by using pumpset irrigation.
Agriculture officials said that the Department attached priority for raising green manure under the National Agriculture Development Programme. About 1,254 hectares had been brought under green manure cultivation and the Department had sanctioned a subsidy of Rs. 1,500 a hectare. Green manure loosened the soil, increased its water-retention capacity and ensured aeration for the crop. All these factors facilitated the farmers to minimise the use of chemical fertilizers.
