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Agri clinic exclusively for aggregatum (sambar) onions and drumsticks at Oddanchatram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu
“During the survey in June 2010 I found dealers are selling the fertilizers and other farming inputs to the farmers but they lack the technical expertise. And farmers trusted their dealers to the core. Neither of them was aware about the dose, frequency, time of administration of the fertilizers etc. As a result crop yield was affected adversely. Hence I started the company to provide farmers with technical expertise, seeds, organic and inorganic farming inputs,” says Mr. Parameshwaran, Founder, K R Agro Farms.
Mr. Parameshwaran served 25years in National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation, Dindigul branch. Investing more than two decades in vegetable production and development, post retirement he decided to utilize his expertise for the betterment of the farmers hence set up K R Agro Farms in 2010. “As I was working on research of onions, garlic and drumstick so I have started this agri clinic exclusively for aggregatum onions and drumsticks,” he adds. Company is located at Oddanchatram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.
Seeds supplied by K R Agro Farms are aggregatum onion (sambar onion), big onion, cluster beans and drumsticks. “We have our own research farm for sambar onion and drumsticks. We consistently conduct varietal improvements in these crops,” he informs. R&D activities are going on to develop sambar onion and new variety in drumstick along with other vegetables like snake gourd, bottle gourd etc. In sambar onions, company supplies three varieties namely CO-ON-5, trika, avatar (released in September 2016). In drumstick PKM1 variety is sold across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
To improve the farm yield in vegetables Mr. Parameshwaran advocates relay crop. “15 days before harvesting onions, tomato seedlings are transplanted. It is called as relay crop. Next for crop rotation farmers can go for pulses, cotton, chillies, some deep rooted crop etc. Srika sambar onion is grown with chillies in the month of September. These are planted in the irrigation channels of onion beds. Intercrop is also chillies,” he elaborates. Sambar onion can be grown 3times in a year. “First by using bulb in November, 80% of the farmer in Tamil Nadu will go for bulb cultivation. January – August season through seeds. Srika is cultivated twice a year. And CO-ON-5 is cultivated thrice a year.”
Speaking of the changes farmers experience from his guidance, he says, “Cost of cultivation reduced upto 25% because earlier farmers were applying 3-5 times more fertilizers. I guided them to use fewer doses and change the application that is soil needs 100% K, 100% P and 50% N which has to be applied after last ploughing before sowing vegetable crops. Many farmers followed the instructions strictly that lead to good yield with low cost of cultivation.”
When asked about the crucial factors important to have the bumper crop, Mr. Parameshwarn responds, “Proper spacing. Commonly farmers maintain less number of plants per acre resulting in low production. Later they add more fertilizer to increase the quantity that drops the quality. Next is awareness on pest and disease attack along with its solution I strongly feel farmers must undergo compulsory training every year.”
“Organic cultivation certainly has better quality but farmers cannot sell the product in the market with price which is 3-4 times higher than chemically grown vegetables,” he shares his observation and adds that organic farming is not advised to the farmers because the environment is polluted. Chemical based fertilizers and pesticides can be used as per the norms mentioned by State Agriculture University and IPR institutes and it is imperative farmer sternly follow the waiting period properly then there is no harm. Mr. Parameshwaran explains, “If pesticide is sprayed for fruit borers in Okra then farmers need to wait for a period of 5 days before harvesting the vegetable. But what happens is farmers do not have the patience to wait! They spray in the morning while harvest and sell in the market in the same evening. Therefore I feel farmers should be trained on fertilizer and pesticide application.”
Mr. Parameshwaram uses advantage of smart penetration in rural India. “We have started Indian Moringa Growers WhatsApp group to share the farming intricacies to the farmers all over India. Besides we also have TN Onion Growers WhatsApp group, because sambar onion is majorly cultivated in Tamil Nadu so I started this group for the state and it is a national group.”
“I want popularize of traditional varieties and start training institute at Oddanchatrum,” he concludes sharing his future plans.
Contact details:
K R Agro Farm
36-1/3, Dindigul Main Road, Check Post - Oddanchatram– 624619, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.
Mobile: 09843907878
Email: kragrofarm@rediffmail.com
“During the survey in June 2010 I found dealers are selling the fertilizers and other farming inputs to the farmers but they lack the technical expertise. And farmers trusted their dealers to the core. Neither of them was aware about the dose, frequency, time of administration of the fertilizers etc. As a result crop yield was affected adversely. Hence I started the company to provide farmers with technical expertise, seeds, organic and inorganic farming inputs,” says Mr. Parameshwaran, Founder, K R Agro Farms.
Mr. Parameshwaran served 25years in National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation, Dindigul branch. Investing more than two decades in vegetable production and development, post retirement he decided to utilize his expertise for the betterment of the farmers hence set up K R Agro Farms in 2010. “As I was working on research of onions, garlic and drumstick so I have started this agri clinic exclusively for aggregatum onions and drumsticks,” he adds. Company is located at Oddanchatram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.
Seeds supplied by K R Agro Farms are aggregatum onion (sambar onion), big onion, cluster beans and drumsticks. “We have our own research farm for sambar onion and drumsticks. We consistently conduct varietal improvements in these crops,” he informs. R&D activities are going on to develop sambar onion and new variety in drumstick along with other vegetables like snake gourd, bottle gourd etc. In sambar onions, company supplies three varieties namely CO-ON-5, trika, avatar (released in September 2016). In drumstick PKM1 variety is sold across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
To improve the farm yield in vegetables Mr. Parameshwaran advocates relay crop. “15 days before harvesting onions, tomato seedlings are transplanted. It is called as relay crop. Next for crop rotation farmers can go for pulses, cotton, chillies, some deep rooted crop etc. Srika sambar onion is grown with chillies in the month of September. These are planted in the irrigation channels of onion beds. Intercrop is also chillies,” he elaborates. Sambar onion can be grown 3times in a year. “First by using bulb in November, 80% of the farmer in Tamil Nadu will go for bulb cultivation. January – August season through seeds. Srika is cultivated twice a year. And CO-ON-5 is cultivated thrice a year.”
Speaking of the changes farmers experience from his guidance, he says, “Cost of cultivation reduced upto 25% because earlier farmers were applying 3-5 times more fertilizers. I guided them to use fewer doses and change the application that is soil needs 100% K, 100% P and 50% N which has to be applied after last ploughing before sowing vegetable crops. Many farmers followed the instructions strictly that lead to good yield with low cost of cultivation.”
When asked about the crucial factors important to have the bumper crop, Mr. Parameshwarn responds, “Proper spacing. Commonly farmers maintain less number of plants per acre resulting in low production. Later they add more fertilizer to increase the quantity that drops the quality. Next is awareness on pest and disease attack along with its solution I strongly feel farmers must undergo compulsory training every year.”
“Organic cultivation certainly has better quality but farmers cannot sell the product in the market with price which is 3-4 times higher than chemically grown vegetables,” he shares his observation and adds that organic farming is not advised to the farmers because the environment is polluted. Chemical based fertilizers and pesticides can be used as per the norms mentioned by State Agriculture University and IPR institutes and it is imperative farmer sternly follow the waiting period properly then there is no harm. Mr. Parameshwaran explains, “If pesticide is sprayed for fruit borers in Okra then farmers need to wait for a period of 5 days before harvesting the vegetable. But what happens is farmers do not have the patience to wait! They spray in the morning while harvest and sell in the market in the same evening. Therefore I feel farmers should be trained on fertilizer and pesticide application.”
Mr. Parameshwaram uses advantage of smart penetration in rural India. “We have started Indian Moringa Growers WhatsApp group to share the farming intricacies to the farmers all over India. Besides we also have TN Onion Growers WhatsApp group, because sambar onion is majorly cultivated in Tamil Nadu so I started this group for the state and it is a national group.”
“I want popularize of traditional varieties and start training institute at Oddanchatrum,” he concludes sharing his future plans.
Contact details:
K R Agro Farm
36-1/3, Dindigul Main Road, Check Post - Oddanchatram– 624619, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.
Mobile: 09843907878
Email: kragrofarm@rediffmail.com