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Thursday, March 28 2024
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Farmers spill paddy seeds aplenty, reap bounty!

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Hunsur: Ignoring traditional methods of paddy farming, the farmers in Hirikyatanahalli village of Hunsur taluk resorted to a method which will take everyone by surprise. They spilled paddy seeds in ploughed wet fields to reap a good harvest at a time when many others are bidding good bye to paddy farming, unable to bear the rising labour costs.

In the century gone by, large joint families aided paddy farming with active participation from all members. However, when days went by, farmers dropped paddy cultivation and preferred growing other lucrative crops. High costs of labour forced many farmers to leave large tracts of land uncultivated during the rainy season, while some switched to short time crops to stay afloat.

In Kodagu district known for paddy cultivation, it has become rare, with few opting to grow in small areas to meet family needs. In Dakshina Kannada, coconut and areca plantations have replaced rich paddy fields.

Farmers in Cauvery basin too are hesitant to grow paddy, a water intensive crop due to the non-availability of adequate water from dams. Some farmers have incurred huge losses and fear growing paddy off late.

In such troubled times, taking guidance from the department of agriculture, farmers in Hirikyatanahalli have started growing paddy by adopting a crude method to reap a rich harvest. Farmers are ecstatic at the outcome in their paddy fields, which surprises one and all including agri-experts. Traditional paddy seeds are sown in small area of land and after almost a month’s gap they are transplanted in large tracts of land either by use of labour or by employing modern machinery.

However,farmers in Hirikyatanahalli employed a straight and simple method, where germinated paddy seeds are spilled in ploughed fields and then wait for the harvest, bypassing traditional methods employed in the initial phases of cultivation.

Agricultural officer Ramu had briefed farmers Mahesh Gowda, Krishne gowda, Rajashekar and Shivappa of Hirikyatanahalli about the “short-cut-method” of paddy cultivation. The farmers have used 16 hectares of land to put officer Ramu’s theory into practice and through the experiment “spill method” and have tasted success.

Farmers opine 10-12 kgs of paddy is sufficient for an acre of land where the paddy seeds must be immersed in water for 12 hours initially. Then they should be kept tied in gunny bags for a day to facilitate germination.

Organic manure available in the backyard of every farmer household must be used to enrich the soil. After wetting tracts of paddy fields with adequate water, paddy seeds must be sparsely spilled moving backwards. One must ensure paddy fields retain adequate moisture and if germinated saplings are found dense in certain areas, they can be transplanted to maintain uniformity.

Each farmer can save up to Rs 4-6 thousand per acre using this mode of cultivation, says farmer Mahesh Gowda , who has been adopting this method successfully over the last few years and hopes to continue in the years ahead.

“We had to employ women labour and the whole process used to last 15 days”, says farmer Krishnegowda, talking of overheads and delays in cultivation and added, “The new simple method has not only reduced cultivation costs but saves time.”

Farmers spill paddy seeds aplenty, reap bounty!
Farmers spill paddy seeds aplenty, reap bounty!
Farmers spill paddy seeds aplenty, reap bounty!
Farmers spill paddy seeds aplenty, reap bounty!

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