The looming crisis for irrigation water has posed a serious threat to the traditional high water requiring crops especially the irrigated low land rice ecosystem. At this instance, aerobic rice cultivation, a system of growing rice in non-saturated soil by sowing in dry soil without puddling and impounding of water seems to be a vital one. This new system of cultivation finds its suitability to tank fed areas where there is limited but assured supplemental water is available.
| Variety | - | PMK-3 |
| Seed rate | - | 30 kg ha-1 |
| Field preparation | - | 1 disc/mould board ploughing + 2 cultivator ploughings + 1 rotovator |
| Sowing | - | TNAU Aerobic rice drum seeder (20X10 cm) |
| Weed management | - | Pre emergence application of Pendimethalin at 0.75 kg ha-1 + Aerobic rice drum weeder at 25 and 45 DAS |
| Fertilizer dose | - | 150:50:50 kg NPK per ha |
| Sub Basin | - | Varaghanadhi |
| Implementing Unit | - | Oilseed Research Station, Tindivanam |
| Physical Area Covered | - | 4 ha |
| Number of Beneficiaries | - | 4 |
The new system of aerobic rice cultivation was introduced at Varaghanadhi sub basin in an area of 10 ha with 4 beneficiaries in 2 blocks. The beneficiaries with bore well as source of irrigation were chosen for the demonstration. A maximum of 5158 kg ha-1 was recorded at Th.Janagaraj's field (Gingee block) and the average productivity was found to be 4347 kg ha-1.
