| Rural Economic Changes and Tank Management in Tamil Nadu |
| Impact of tank modernization programme on tank performance in Tamil Nadu state |
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Poverty alleviation through Goat rearing |
| Impact of Integrated Waste Land Development Programme on Farmer Beneficiaries|
| Impact on the Knowledge and Adoption of Soil and water Conservation Practices |
| Impact on the Knowledge and Adoption on Field Preparation, Seeds and Sowing |
| Impact in terms of the Sensitivity Developed on Environmental protection |
Conducted survey in the tank command areas. We have identified problems in the tank command areas and how tanks are helps to improve the rural economy of the people.The study were conducted the impact of tank modernisation programme ,which was done EEC and finaly framing policies for tank command areas for future development. This studies are conducted at Madurai, Ramnad , Sivagangai, Virudunagar districts of Tamil Nadu, have more number of tanks situated in the wider geographical areas. So these districts were selected for the collaborative projects.More than 100 tanks were so far studied with the collaboration with Kyoto university. There is need to study more tanks in the future. This will helps to understand the problems and prospects of the rural community who depends tank as their livelihood.
Studied the impact of EEC modernized with relation to socio-economic condition of farmers,and compare the modernized with non modernized tanks with the relevance to their performance
On going Kyoto universities doctoral research programme at Siddireddipatti village in Madurai district of Tamil Ndu.In this study to assess the profile of the village people and how goats are helpful to sustaining the village peoples livelihood
(R.Arunachalam, Asoociate professor (Ag. Extn), Tamil Nadu Agrl. University, India)
In Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, India, land degradation and increased level of wasteland are turned out to be the important problems in agriculture.The cultivable waste and other fallow lands together constitute over 23.31 per cent of the total geographical area. Realising the importance of development of wastelands, the government has embarked upon a massive programme of wasteland development, so that these lands become green and fertile within the shortest possible time.
A detailed study about the impact of the programme would help in further promotion and expansion of the programme to the needy farmers of the near by areas. Hence, a study on " Impact of Integrated Wasteland Development Programme has been carried out among the beneficiaries of the IWDP .The results of the study are presented in the following paragraphs.The knowledge level of the IWDP beneficiaries were found below average in all the soil and water conservation practices in the pre project period. About one fourth of the respondents (25.82 per cent) could name some of the vegetative hedges suited for dry lands. About thirty per cent of the respondents (29.16 per cent) admits that the construction of farm pond in the low-lying areas of the farm improves the water availability in the farm. On the other listed out practices almost all the respondents had negligible level of knowledge. The post project period shows a greater significance in the knowledge level of the respondents on the above practices. Majority of the respondents possessed adequate knowledge in naming vegetative hedges suited for dry lands (65.81 per cent), type of the slope required for contour bunding (62.48 per cent), recommended width of broad bed cum furrow and its suitability to the selected crops (56.64 per cent) and that the construction of farm pond in the low lying areas of the farm improves the water availability in the farm (54.16 per cent). Further, about fifty per cent (48.31 per cent) of the respondents had sufficient knowledge in the construction of the rain water harvesting structures suited for their houses.
The adoption of the soil and water conservation practices in the pre project period was very poor and found meager in all the practices. All the recommended practices were uniformly not followed by almost all the respondents. But the post project analysis revealed a significant positive change in the adoption of the above practices. About one third of the respondents have fully adopted the recommended width of broad bed cum furrow (33.32 per cent) and at the same time this practice was adopted for the right crops by almost a similar percentage of the respondents(32.49 per cent). Further, it is observed that an another 32.49 percentage of the respondents constructed right type of water harvesting structures suited for their houses.
Similarly, little less than one fourth of the respondents have fully adopted the right type of slope for the contour bunding (24.99 per cent) and planted vegetative hedges suited for their soil (23.32 per cent). Only ten per cent of the respondents have constructed farm pond in the low lying areas of the farm and at the same time this practice was partially adopted by 31.65 per cent of the respondents. In other practices also partial adoption was observed but in negligible percentages
Little less than one fourth of the respondents in the pre project period had sufficient knowledge about the advantages of the pre monsoon sowing (24.99 per cent), advantages of the summer ploughing (23.32 per cent) and planting suitable fruit seedlings to their land (23.32 per cent). On the other practices they possessed only negligible level of knowledge.The post project results had shown that a remarkable change in the knowledge level of the respondents. Most of the respondents (81.63 per cent) knew the uses of the enriched farmyard manure, but in contrast only 68.31 per cent of the respondents had fair knowledge on the ingredients to be added while preparing enriched farmyard manure. Around three fourth of the respondents possessed sufficient knowledge in the selection of the right type of fruit seedlings suited to their land (78.30 per cent) and on the advantages of the pre monsoon sowing (74.97 per cent0. On the other hand, a clear majority of the respondents knew well, the uses of seed hardening methods (68.31 per cent), recommended varieties of rainfed sorghum (59.98 per cent) and the advantages of summer ploughing (54.98 per cent)
In the pre project period, the recommended IWDP practices related with field preparation, seeds and sowing were poorly adopted by the respondents. About one fifth of the respondents (19.99 per cent) have fully adopted the seed hardening practices while it was partially adopted by an another 14.99 per cent of the respondents.. Only about 15 percentage of the respondents have fully adopted the pre monsoon sowing practices. On the other listed out practices, their adoption level was found minimum and almost nil .In the post project period, the above trend has reversed and the IWDP had contributed for a remarkable change in the adoption percentage. Majority of the respondents had gone for pre monsoon sowing (56.64 per cent) and planting fruit seedlings suited to their land (52.48 per cent), followed by 44.099 per cent of the respondents had adopted recommended varieties of rainfed sorghum. Around one third of the respondents fairly adopted the enriched farmyard manure (34.99 per cent) and almost a similar percentage of the respondents (31.65 per cent) included all the essential ingredients while preparing enriched farmyard manure. At the same time summer ploughing was adopted by 27.49 per cent of the respondents and seed hardening was fully practiced by an another 21.66 per cent. Partial adoption was also seen in almost all the practices in negligible percentages.
This study revealed that a vast majority of the respondents(65.00 per cent) were seen with medium level of sensitivity. High level was found with 15 per cent of the respondents. Only 20 per cent were with low level of sensitivity. Normally such a high percentage under medium level is rare to be seen the remote villages. The above results have shown the impact of IWDP among the farming community in the study area. There is no need to teach them separately on the ways and means of protecting our environment. The different intensive efforts taken under the IWDP alone could have contributed for developing their sensitivity as witnessed in the above table.