Puducherry

The agro-climate is semi-arid moist with hot summers and mild winters. The soils derived from coastal and deltaic alluvium are fine, alkaline/saline and low in fertility. The areas suffer due to waterlogging in rainy season and high salinity in dry season. Rice and blackgram are important crops. Suggested technological interventions for natural resource management for agriculture in the state are as follows:

� Adoption of soil moisture conservation measures and drip irrigation in drought prone areas

� Adoption of high density multi-species cropping system with crops like banana, turmeric, ginger,

  vegetable crops (bhendi, brinjal, tomato), cassava and fodder crops 

� Adoption of integrated disease management strategy for the control of basal stem rot disease

� Utilization of coconut farm waste through vermicomposting

� Use of salt tolerant varieties of rice CSR 23, CSR 36

Banana

Banana is grown for dessert, culinary and leaf plate purposes. The productivity of banana can be improved with the adoption of the following improved technologies:

� Use of varieties Grand Naine, Robusta, Udhayam and Nendran.

� Planting disease free tissue cultured planting material

� High-density plantation in double row system.

� Integrated management of insect pests, vectors and diseases.

Coconut

Coconut is cultivated in an area of 2,200 ha and productivity is 13,636 nuts/ha/year (78 nuts/palm/year). The potential yield of palm is 175 nuts/palm/year. The reasons for low productivity are presence of large number of senile palms; frequent occurrence of drought and incidence of basal stem rot disease. Scope exits for increasing the production in the state with following technological interventions:

� Replanting senile palms with high-yielding varieties and hybrids West Coast Tall, East Coast Tall,

  Laccadive Ordinary, Chadra Kalpa, Andaman Ordinary, VPM 3, Aliyarnagar Tall, Chandra Sankara,

  VHC 2 and VHC 3  

� Adoption of soil moisture conservation measures and drip irrigation in drought prone areas

� High density multispecies cropping system with crops like banana, turmeric, ginger, vegetable 

  crops   (bhendi, brinjal, tomato), cassava and fodder crops

� Adoption of integrated disease management strategy for controlling basal stem rot disease