1. Venture Capital Scheme on Soil Testing and Technology Advisory Centre (SOTAC)
Soil Testing and Technology Advisory Centre (SOTAC) is functioning in the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry since 2003. Soil and irrigation water samples are being analysed on payment basis and advisory services are rendered using DSSIFER software. Further, Hands on training are being provided to Students, Scholars, Scientists, Lab technicians and other Technical staff engaged in soil and water testing activities and exposure visit for officials of State and Central Government Organisations and Farmers.
Soil analysis : pH, EC, texture, calcareousness, available macro and micronutrients and organic carbon and providing soil health card
Irrigation Water analysis : pH, EC, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride and sulphate and irrigation water quality appraisal
Sales through SOTAC: DSSIFER CDs and Visual Diagnostic Kit (VDK) CDs
Advisory Services
Based on the soil and irrigation water analysis, the following advisory services are provided to the farmers.
- Soil test and yield target based fertilizer prescriptions under Integrated Plant Nutrition System (STCR-IPNS) for various crops using DSSIFER
- Management of problem soils and irrigation water.
- Suitability of soils for various crops based on analytical results.
2. Venture Capital Scheme – Frontier Analytical Soil Testing Laboratory (FAST)
The Frontier Analytical Soil Testing Laboratory of the Department is functioning since May, 2017 to provide analytical services for soil, plant, manure and water to researchers of TNAU and other institutes. In addition, in the scheme the analytical services of radioisotope laboratory are also extended to the researchers of TNAU.
The analytical services includes analysis of physical properties, chemical (available and total nutrients) constituents of the soil, proximate and ultimate composition of the plant samples, macro and micro nutrient composition of manures and irrigation water analysis.
3. Production of Designer Micronutrient Fertilizer Mixtures for Crops
The Micronutrient mixtures are the fertilizer mixture products, incorporating all the straight micronutrient chemical fertilizers in a definite proportion based on the crop nutrient uptake and the degree of deficiency of soil micronutrients in Tamil Nadu soils. Application of MN mixtures as Enriched FYM will help to tackle the multi-micronutrient deficiency problems besides balanced fertilization to crop.
Indirect benefits: Balanced fertilization of crops through fertilizer mixtures will ensure enhanced crop productivity besides sustaining soil fertility.
Crops and dosage
| Crop | Irrigated (kg/ha) | Rainfed (kg/ha) |
|
|
| Rice | 25 | 12.5 | ||
| Maize | 30 | 7.5 | ||
| 12.5 | 7.5 | |||
| Groundnut | ||||
| Sesame | ||||
| Cotton (var.) | ||||
| Sunflower (var.) | ||||
| Sunflower (hyb) | 15.0 | 10.0 | ||
| Cotton(hyb) | 15.0 | 7.5 | ||
| Pulses | 5.0 | 5.0 | ||
| Castor(var.) | 12.5 | 7.5 | ||
| Castor(hyb.) | 15.0 | 10.0 | ||
| Sugarcane | 50.0 | – | ||
| Coconut | 1 kg/tree/year | – | ||
4. Production and Supply of Nutriseed Packs to farmers and Crop Production Units
5. Production and distribution of water soluble fertilizers for fertigation of crops
- Both Government of India and Tamil Nadu are promoting drip irrigation as a water conservation measure.
- Usage of water soluble fertilizers, an improved formulation is highly essential to enhance fertilizer use efficiencythrough drip irrigation especially for commercially viable crops.
- Commercially available water soluble fertilizers are costly because most of the water soluble fertilizers are imported.
- Adoption of fertigation using water soluble fertilizers and foliar fertilization will enhance yield of crops, bio-fortification in edible parts of the crops andnet profit.
- Under this scheme, water soluble fertilizers are manufactured at three different centres of TNAU and supply to the farmers at an economic rate thereby saving the fertilizer input cost of the farming community.