TIRUCHY: The rain spells in the district over the past few days have not only improved irrigation of samba paddy cultivation but has also reduced the need for application of urea for the crop, lowering input costs for farmers. This is because rainwater carries nitrates — the most natural form of nitrogen — agriculture and farmers’ welfare department officials said.
Nitrogen is one of the three key macro-nutrients that plants need to thrive, they pointed out. As per the IMD, the district recorded 266.7 mm rainfall between October 1, 2024 and October 14, 2024. The normal average is 222.9 mm for the period.
This brings additional cheer for farmers who, encouraged by the satisafctory Mettur reservoir storage level, have raised samba paddy on 1.46 lakh acres in the district this year. Kannan, joint director of agriculture, Tiruchy, pointed out that the seasonal crop acreage has exceeded the target of 1.28 lakh acres.
The rain in catchment areas in the recent past has also raised the storage level of Mettur reservoir, which stood at 106 feet on Thursday. The full reservoir level (FRL) is 120 ft. Pointing to the hesitation farmers usually show in fertiliser application during rainy season fearing that it will get washed away, R Sugumar, assistant director of agriculture, Lalgudi, said,
“Actually, they need not apply any fertiliser during rains, as it contains nitrogen, which is present in urea. It will hence bring down the input costs for farmers.” Sugumar,, however, advised farmers to stay vigilant against pests like ‘leaf folder’ and stem borer’, which he said commonly attack crops during the growth stage.