Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) and Indian Oil Corporation will be jointly conducting trials on the efficacy of Indian Oil’s farmer-friendly Agrospray oil in the State.
Indian Oil’s research and development centre general manager S Ravichandran told Express on the sidelines of Confederation of Indian Industry’s conference on Agricultural Innovation in a Changing Farming Dynamics that trials are likely to be conducted on eight crops for two years.
“Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has sent in a proposal in this regard and it is under discussion with top IOC officials,” Ravichandran said. He said the focus of this trial which would be conducted on vegetables like ladies finger, brinjal, cauliflower and fruits like mango and banana besides turmeric and others is to find out the efficacy of the spray against pests and diseases in various crops prevalent in Tamil Nadu.
The `40-lakh study would also ascertain whether the residue from the parafin-based oil remains in the crop and its impact on the environment. The trials are likely to be conducted in the various research stations of TNAU.
The parafin-based oil is a pest control product that is expected to boost agricultural production in the country. It is environment-friendly, non-toxic and highly beneficial in diverse agricultural crops such as cotton, pulses, grains, mustard, groundnut, sugarcane, potato, grapes, mango, apple, citrus fruits, etc. It is also highly effective in controlling certain plant diseases, said Ravichandran.