The farm varsity here is trying to bring back some of the traditional varieties that have stood the test of time, albeit with some technology intervention, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy said.

In a brief chat with BusinessLine , he said, “the focus of the varietal releases in recent years has been more towards short duration crops with high yield levels. While this seemed good, it did not bring about the desired impact. Farmers by and large stuck to familiar varieties rather than try new ones. We are, therefore, preparing ourselves to understand the farmers’ requirement. The gene bank is resource rich,” he added.

He further said that the issue at present “is not seed multiplication, but the need for a climate resilient, sustainable cropping system with innovative technology,” adding “Paiyur 1 (a fine grain variety) is almost a decade old; it was developed in Krishnagiri. This variety is today in huge demand.”

To address this demand-driven requirement, the varsity is gearing up to work with farmers, attempt multi-location trails if the farmer is ready, take a participatory approach and buy back the seed.

Reverting to technological interventions, he said, “by synchronising the crop maturity, one time harvesting is now possible in crops such as green and red gram. We are now working to synchronise maturity for black gram and small millets.”

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