Vol. 62 No.10 October 2010 TNAU NEWS TAMILNADU AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY NEWS LETTER Patron : Dr. P. MURUGESA BOOPATHI- Vice Chancellor Editor : Dr. P. SIVASUBRAMANIAN - Director, Planning & Monitoring DARS blossoms with new building and Pudukottai districts also participated. Our Vice -Chancellor presided over the function and lauded the quality of education offered in TNAU. He cited the graduates of TNAU showing their excellency as scientists, administrators in various capacities throughout the country. He emphasized the need for d e v e l o p i n g s i t e s p e c i f i c dryfarming technologies suitable for farmers of Sivagangai District. During inaugural address, the Hon'ble Union Home minister Shri. P. Chidambaram stressed the need for more Agricultural Research A New office cum research Regional Research Station – Institutes and graduates in the State building at DARS, Chettinad was Aruppukottai, ARS – Paramakudi, in order to sharpen the focus of agricultural research and to enable declared opened on 12.09.2010 by AC&RI – Madurai, HSC&RI – the farmers to follow modern Hon'ble Union Home Minister Shri. Madurai, KVKs, Department of farming techniques. The Hon'ble P.Chidambaram in the presence of Agriculture / Horticulture / Agrl. Home Minister pointed out that 10 the Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, E n g i n e e r i n g a n d p r i v a t e Director of Research and other percent farmers were following c o m p a n i e s . C ro p a n d s o i l University officers, Mr. N.Sundram, modern cultivation technologies m a n a g e m e n t t e c h n o l o g i e s M.L.A., Mr. Ramasubbu, M.L.A., over 98 lakhs farm families in the scientists and farmers participated pertaining to dryland farming, dry state using certified seeds. Since in the function. f a r m i n g m e c h a n i z a t i o n there is a huge gap between implements, improved varieties, production and demand for pulses, An exhibition was organized by the biological control and plant he insisted for evolution of p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f D r y l a n d protection, micro irrigation technologies to enhance pulse Agricultural Research Station, technologies were exhibited. production in the country for self Chettinad, NPRC – Vamban, About 800 farmers from Sivagangai sustenance. VC visits CRS, funded research projects based on field problems of coconut farmers. Veppankulam He also discussed with the farm labourers regarding their welfare. Our Vice-Chancellor, Dr. P. Murugesa Boopathi, reviewed the activities of individual Scientists of Coconut The Vice-Chancellor inaugurated the Research Station, Veppankulam on new office cum laboratory building 2 3 . 0 8 . 2 0 1 0 . H e e n c o u ra ge d constructed for formal occupation. andmotivated the Scientists to He has also planted a tree sapling in propose more number of externally new office premises. TNAU scientist brings laurels mycorrhizal symbiosis associated nutrient dynamics in rhizosphere to the institution were considered for this award. Best Entrepreneur Award BPD-TNAU Mr. S. K. Babu, Director, Eco Green Unit and one of the members of B u s i n e s s P l a n n i n g a n d Development Unit-TNAU (BPD- TNAU) in the Directorate of Agri- the demonstration plots of Business Development (DABD) has precision farming on banana and Dr.B.Meena, Assistant Professor bagged the “Best Entrepreneur Sugarcane at Melakkadu Village of T (Plant Pathology) of Sugarcane Award” in the 18th Foundation Day Sivagangai district on 24.9.10. He Research Station, Sirugamani has of the National Research Centre for interacted with the farmers and received the prestigious Tamil Banana (NRCB), Tiruchirapalli for shared his expertise in green Nadu Scientist Award (TANSA) – his excellent and continuous manuring and intercropping in N 2008 in Agricultural Sciences from contribution to value addition in sugarcane. the Hon'ble Minister for Higher Banana. The award was conferred Education & Mines. The award has to the member during the function DEMIC suggests cotton cultivation been given by Tamil Nadu State held on 21st August 2010 in NRCB at in Puratasi pattam A C o u n c i l f o r S c i e n c e a n d Tiruchirapalli. Eco Green Unit is Technology, Chennai. The TANSA involved in manufacture of banana NAIP- Domestic and Export Market A wa rd h a s b e e n g ive n t o fibre based products including I n t e l l i ge n c e C e l l ( D E M I C ) Dr.B.Meena based on her research mats, paper bags and many more. functioning in CARDS, analyzed the contribution in biological control of past 15 year prices prevailed in U plant diseases. Tirupur and Konganapuram markets and also conducted TANSA award for Traders survey in cotton markets TNAU scientist and confirmed that the price of cotton (long staple varieties) will Dr. K.S. Subramanian, Professor and rule around Rs.3100 to Rs.3300 per Head, Department of Nano Science quintal from November 2010 to & Technology, has been honoured March 2011. Hence, farmers are N with a Tamil Nadu Scientist Award advised to go for cotton cultivation (TANSA) for Agricultural Sciences in Puratasi pattam managing the constituted by Tamil Nadu State Inspection of AgMet - Observatory whitefly menace with integrated Council for Science & Technology, pest management. If the exports by IMDA scientists E Chennai. The Award was presented are increased then there is a to Dr. K.S. Subramanian by the S C. Jakka, Scientific Assistant, P. S. likelihood of increase in above Hon'ble Minister for Higher Narayanan, Scientist of IMDA, Pune prices. Education Dr. K. Ponmudi on visited the TRRI on 26-08-2010 and 2 4 . 8 . 2 0 1 0 i n C h e n n a i . H i s technically inspected the Agro- Students Club inaugurated in W outstanding contribution in the Meteorological Observatory at AEC & RI, Kumulur development of ICT enabled TRRI under GOI- AgMet. NCMRWF “Interactive Visual Diagnostic Kit scheme. Perfection and installation ( V D K ) ” s o f t w a r e f o r t h e of the Agro-Meteorological S i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f n u t r i e n t instruments in the observatory, deficiencies in crops and data acquisition by the instruments and manual observation, data collection and consolidation of all w e a t h e r p a r a m e t e r s w e re scrutinized. Visit of World Bank Official - T h e S t u d e n t s ' C l u b w a s TN-IAMWARM inaugurated for the year 2010-2011 at AEC & RI, Kumulur on 27.08.2010. Dr.I.P.Abrol, World Bank Consultant Dr. A. Raja Rajan, Dean, AC & RI, for TN-IAMWARM Project visited Killikulam graced the occasion as 2 the Chief Guest. Dr. K. Nagarajan, farmers of the basin participated in Staff Advisor welcomed the each of the programme. gathering and introduced the office bearers of the Students' Club. Dr. A. Tajuddin, Dean AEC&RI, Training for tribals presided over the function. CIMMYT Coordinator visits Thirty six families of a tribal TNAU community “Mudhuvan” living in to welcome the first year B.Tech. Vellimudi hills of Valparai was Dr. Raj Gupta, Developing (Agrl. Engg.) students on 16th brought to TNAU thro' an NGO Coordinator of CIMMYT, IRRI August, 2010. Er. M. Kanagavalli, Valparai and a three days training visited Tamil Nadu Agricultural IAS, an alumnus of the college was organized at the Directorate of University on 17.09.2010 who had a th graced the occasion as the Chief Extension Education, between 24 discussion with our Hon'ble Vice and 26th Aug, 2010. T Guest. C h a n c e l l o r , T a m i l N a d u T h e p r o d u c t i o n A g r i c u l t u r a l U n i v e r s i t y, technologies for ragi, maize and Coimbatore. The visit was planned Awareness campaign on for strengthening collaborative o t h e r m i n o r m i l l e t s , s e e d research activities under the aegis IAMWARM production techniques thro' group N of Cereal System Initiative of South approach, value added products in Asia (CSISA). Awareness campaigns were millets were taught to the tribal conducted on the IAMWARM group apart from field visit to CYMMIT and TNAU have agreed to project in operation at Nallavur observe the modern package of A sign a MOU for a collaborative basin of Tindivanam Taluk at practices followed for all the millet r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m m e o n Brahmadesam, Omandur and crops. Conservation Agriculture in Tamil Vemboondi and Erayanur villages Nadu. Dr. S. Jeyaraman, Director of on 16th, 17th and 23rd of August, 2010. Crop Management will be the U Principal Investigator of the The objectives of the project, Research program with the funding subsidies available and the of Rs 13, 00,000/- from CIMMYT. technologies such as SRI, Pulses and groundnut production and Freshers' day celebrated precision farming, that will be at AEC&RI, Kumulur demonstrated during the course of implementation of the project were The staff and students of AEC&RI, explained by the project officer Kumulur celebrated Freshers' day Dr.P.C.Prabhu.