The ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, in association with Bannari Amman Sugars Limited, organised an awareness campaign titled ‘Adopting Science-Based Nutrient and Input Management’ under the institute’s ‘Mera Gaon, Mera Gaurav’ (MGMG) initiative for sugarcane farmers at Alathucombai in Erode district recently.

Addressing farmers, D. Puthira Prathap, Principal Scientist and Team Leader, MGMG, ICAR-SBI, outlined the objectives of the programme and highlighted the growing need for balanced fertiliser usage. He said Tamil Nadu ranked 13th among Indian States in fertiliser consumption, while Erode district stood fifth among the fertiliser-consuming districts in the State.

Stressing the importance of sustainable farming practices, he urged farmers to adopt alternative nutrient sources such as bio-fertilisers, vermicompost and farmyard manure to improve soil fertility and nutrient-use efficiency.

S. Anusha, scientist, ICAR-SBI, explained that indiscriminate and imbalanced application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers adversely affected soil health and sugarcane productivity. A live demonstration on the preparation of “Jeevamrutham”, a traditional organic bio-fertiliser prepared using cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, soil and water, was conducted during the programme.

K.P. Kuppusamy, deputy general manager, Bannari Amman Sugars Limited, highlighted the benefits of Potassium Derived from Molasses (PDM), a sugar industry by-product containing about 14.5% potash, as a sustainable nutrient source. A. Sivakumar, additional manager, Madras Fertilizers Limited, spoke on the availability of bio-fertilisers, phosphate solubilisers and organic nutrient sources.

Scientists also interacted with farmers and clarified queries related to cultivation practices, harvesting and subsidised bio-inputs. More than 85 farmers and input dealers participated in the programme.