Tamil Nadu

The cultivated area of the state is 4.7 million ha, comprising 36% of the total geographical area. The irrigated area covering 2.15 million ha is 46% of the cultivated area. The cropping intensity is around 113%. The red and black soils are deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc. The major crops are rice, cotton, groundnut, mungbean, urdbean and sugarcane. Groundwater availability is poor due to non-aquiferous rocky terrain. Suggested interventions for natural resource management for agriculture in the state are as follows:

� Site-specific nutrient management on 0.5 million ha of rice-rice system to produce additional

  1.2 million tonnes of rice/annum

� Integrated household farming system (rice + fish + duckery) to increase the income by Rs 10,000/ha

� Watershed management including water harvesting in village ponds/tanks

Rice

The state has 2.2 million ha under rice cultivation, which covers mainly irrigated and partly rainfed areas. The state average productivity is about 2.8 tonnes/ha. The major constraints in production are water scarcity in the existing command areas, imbalanced fertilizer use and micronutrient deficiency and increasing soil salinity/alkalinity. The suggested interventions are:

� Cultivation of hybrids CoRH 2, CoRH 3, ADTRH 1, KRH 2, PHB 71, PA 6201, DRRH 2

� Growing high-yielding varieties, IR64, IR50, TKM9 (irrigated), Savithri, Ponni, Co46,

  ADT 44 (shallow, lowland), Vaigai, MDU 1, Paramkudi 1 and PMK (R) 3 (upland) will further

  boost productivity.

� Growing of System of Rice Intesification and other related water saving practices

Maize

Maize is grown in kharif and rabi seasons in the state. The major area is under kharif, in which there has been more than five times increase from 21,000 ha to 115,000 ha over the last five years. There is also a consistent increase in rabi area from 52,000 ha to 85,000 ha. The productivity has declined drastically in both the seasons from 1,552 kg/ha to 1,189 kg/ha. The area from rice is being shifted to maize, mainly to be consumed by feed industries. The major constraints in production are drought and poor plant populations along with quality seeds. The important interventions needed are:

        � Use of early maturing single cross hybrids QPM 1, Prakash, COH (M)4, COH (M) 5

Urdbean

At present, urdbean occupies 2.34 lakh ha with annual production of 1.02 lakh tonnes