Under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) - Cluster Front Line Demonstration (CFLD), KVK, Namakkal was allotted 10 ha of Groundnut, 10 ha of Castor, 20 ha of Green gram & 20 ha of Black gram for Kharif 2021 season and 10 ha of Groundnut & 10 ha of sesame for Rabi 2021-22 season.
A total of 200 demonstrations were undertaken in a cluster approach in potential, DFI and NICRA villages by covering 80 ha in 200 farmers field.
Critical inputs viz., seeds (Green gram – CO-8, Black gram – VBN-8, Groundnut – Dharani, Castor – YRCH1, Sesame – TMV-7), bio agents, crop boosters, IPDM inputs to all the beneficiary farmers and demonstrated seed treatment, foliar spray of crop booster, yellow sticky trap & pheromone trap installation, mechanical harvest among cluster farmers and conducted Orientation training on pulses production technology and frequent field visits.
Out of 100 pulses farmers, 45 farmers (18 ha) were motivated and involved foundation seed production by tie up with KVK Seed hub projects and department of seed certification. Kharif pulses field day was conducted on 15.12.2021 at Nochipatti village and recorded 76 pods per plant in green gram.
A total of 47.2 percent of green gram producing farmers involved green gram variety CO-8 production with area of 3122 ha in Namakkal district during 2021-22. Current year, 218.4 Qtl of green gram seeds (var.CO-8) produced by the farmers and procured by department of agriculture, Namakkal and KVK Seed hub projects.
Out of 50 groundnut farmers, 24 farmers involved foundation seed production and supplied 8240 kg to KVK Namakkal and agricultural department and fetched higher market price of Rs.83/kg and farmers recorded higher pod (51 - 82 pods/plant) and haulm yield (4124 kg/ha) and fetched 36 percent additional income due to higher yield and seed production purpose.
Due to CLFD on Castor, 75.6 % of Castor growing area covered by YRCH -1 variety in 925.2 ha and 850 kg of castor seeds (YRCH-1) sold by KVK, Namakkal for dissemination during 2021-22.
