SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN UPLIFTMENT OF FARMING COMMUNITY
Department of Agricultural Entomology
The TNAU is a pioneer in the country to develop the surveillance programme in all the districts of Tamil Nadu in rice, groundnut, cotton and sugarcane crops as a collaborative project between Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and the State Department of Agriculture.
Since the inception of the network of surveillance programme, the short-term forecasting has given a tremendous impact at farmers’ level to keep the pests under check below ETL and to avoid pest outbreaks.
Online pest surveillance data collection has been introduced for the first time during the year 2014 which made data collection easy and quick with paperless communication.
One day training on beekeeping is conducted regularly since 2009. So far 3000 beekeepers and farmers including 500 women were trained in these trainings.
Department of Plant Pathology
Imparting training to Agricultural extension functionaries on disease surveillance, management of crop diseases and IPM.
To provide plant clinic service to farmers.
Development and distribution of Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis and Beauveria bassiana for ecofriendly management of crop diseases.
Imparting training to the extension personnel, farmers and NGOs on mushroom cultivation technologies.
Supplying the bed spawn, mother spawns and cultures to mushroom growers regularly.
Provide regular training on Mushroom cultivation technology (One day training on 5th of every month; Five-day training on request; Mass production of biocontrol agents on request)
Department of Nematology
Conducted periodical farmers’ mela, kisan mela, field day, kisan goshti to farmers to create awareness about plant parasitic nematodes and their management in plants.
Organized nematode awareness training programmes, campaigns, farmers’ interactive meet to various crop growers and farmers’ associations across the state.
Conducted WORKSHOP and training programmes on “Field Diagnosis and Management of Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Horticultural Crops” to extension personnel from State departments, HOs, quarantine officials and nursery men and KVK scientists.
Nematode awareness trainings with inputs (like bioagents, nematode repellent medicinal crops plants, farm tools etc.) were given to tribal farmers under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), ICAR-AICRP on nematode to diagnose and manage the nematode problems.
The impact of outreach activities have increased awareness of nematode damage among the farmers thereby making them take up precautionary measures to ward them off as ‘prevention is better than cure’. Extension personnel have been enlightened on identification of nematode related symptoms and the management steps to be taken up.
