DINDIGUL: Heavy rains in the past few weeks have led to a widespread 'fruit splitting' phenomenon in the grape farms spanning 600 acres in the villages of Nilakottai.
Revenue department sources said the grapes grown here are not only sold in Dindigul but also in other districts, including Madurai, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, and Chennai, and even other states.
For the past few days, there has been continuous rain on Kodai Road and surrounding areas. Due to this, cracks started appearing on the grapes causing the fruit to rot. The growers removed the rotten grapes and discarded them in an attempt to protect the ones that managed to resist the cracking.
K Thangapandi, a grape grower in Jamnadadurai Kottai Panchayat, told TNIE, "My grape farm is spread over five acres. The Kodai road section in Nilakottai has an ideal climate for grape cultivation since it is windy and mountainous. However, due to heavy rains, our grapes absorbed more water and as a result, cracks began to appear on them. These cracks have spread over 50% of the fruits, and we were forced to discard the rotten ones. We have already spent over Rs 1 lakh on the cultivation. We are worried over this situation."
An official from the Horticulture Department said the cracking of fruits is not a disease or disorder. "Over absorption of water could be the reason for this. Besides, in some cases, micro-nutrient deficiency could also cause cracks. This will reduce over time as the rainfall recedes. We will also advise farmers to reduce the use of fertilisers to balance the growth of climbers," he said.