TNAU Vice-Chancellor V. Geethalakshmi examines the crop status at the Cotton Research Station at Veppanthattai in Perambalur district.
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is developing a robotic cotton picking machine, according to Vice-Chancellor V. Geethalakshmi.
Addressing a stakeholders’ meeting on increasing productivity and full mechanization of cotton at the Cotton Research Station in Veppanthatai on Tuesday, Geethalakshmi said the technologies developed by TNAU so far have enabled farmers to ensure a yield of up to 25 quintals per hectare.
The mechanization that paved the way for high density planting system, pneumatic seed sowing, self-propelled tractor boom spraying and mechanical axle harvesting was of great value to the cotton farmers of Perambalur district with an area of 13,000 hectares under cultivation, Vice-Chancellor. he said
S. Somasundaram, Professor and Head, CRS, said mechanization of cotton cultivation reduced the labor requirement from 240 man-days to 60 man-days per hectare with a benefit-cost ratio of 2.6.
K Subrahamanian, Director, Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute; C. Vanniarajan, Dean, Anbil Dharmalingam College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Tiruchi; and P Rajkumar, Dean, Kumulur Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute also participated in the stakeholders’ meeting.
Later, at a function organized by the Perambalur administration, the Vice-Chancellor joined P. Sri Venkada Priya to hand over farm equipment worth ₹8.14 lakh to Scheduled Caste farmers on behalf of TNAU. Agricultural equipment was intended to reduce dependence on manual labor in cultivation. The 35 beneficiaries belonged to seven farmer groups from Perambalur, Veppanthattai and Alathur unions.