Siddipet: AEO educates women farmers on paddy cultivation

Since not many farmers were unaware of efficient practices, Agriculture Extension Officer Nagarjuna was inviting women farmers in teams to the Rythu Vedika

Siddipet: Putting the Rythu Vedika concept to best use, agriculture extension officer (AEO) of Narayanraopet T Nagarjuna has been educating women farmers who would play a key role in paddy transplantation and other management activities.

Since not many farmers were unaware of efficient practices, Nagarjuna was inviting women farmers in teams to the Rythu Vedika. The Narayanraopet agriculture cluster has five villages under it where paddy is a major crop. Speaking to Telangana Today, Nagarajuna said the farmers were not leaving alleyways between the paddy crop which would eventually reduce the yield.

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Farmers must leave a width of one feet as alleyway between every two metres of crop. Stating that paddy crop would need air and sunlight to get the best yield, he said the farmers, however, were feeling it was a waste of space. Farmers under his cluster were cultivating mostly short and medium-duration crops that would give yield in 125 to 135 days. However, the farmers were planting 30 to 33 saplings in every square meter area which is ideal for only long-duration crops such as Sannalu.

During a field interaction on Friday, the AEO sensitised the women farmers engaged in transplantation to plant 40 to 44 saplings in every square meter area. Talking about the management of the stem borer insect, he has suggested that farmers should spray carbofuran granules at the time of nursery a week before the transplantation. Nagarjuna educated them that investment in granules can be restricted because the paddy will be spread after transplantation.

At the nursery stage, the farmers would need just 900 grams of granules for saplings sufficient for one acre. They would need 10 kg of granules after transplantation in an acre crop. Nagarjuna has educated 500 women farmers so far by holding 5 meetings.
Paddy farmer Bandi Bharathamma of Ibrahimpur village said that the suggestions were very helpful to them since none taught them these practices earlier.