Tamil Nadu: Modern Meets Traditional as Farmer Grows Paddy Through 'Capsule' Method for Future Farming

Focusing on modern agriculture, a farmer in Tamil Nadu’s Mayiladuthurai district cultivates paddy in the ‘capsule’ method, sowing it for future farming. The 52-year-old farmer, Rajasekar, hails from Mangainallur village and has numerous academic qualifications, including MCom, BEd, ICWA, DCA, DCPA, PGDCM, and diploma in agriculture. But instead of migrating to urban areas or even cities for a job, he has continued to farm his land for years.

Rajasekar is engaged in subsistence farming with only traditional paddy varieties on five acres of land, located in Kandhamangalam village. He cultivates traditional varieties of paddy, such as Karuppu Kavuni, Seeragasamba, Karunguruvai and some others, using innovation each time.

This year, Rajasekar has planted traditional paddy variety Arupadham Kuruvai in a “capsule” system on an acre. “Every capsule contains three paddy seeds and seaweed, neem, sorghum, plant promoting granules in a ratio of 3:1:1:1, thus, directly planting the seed on the field after encasing them in a capsule,” he said, adding that he has acquired the seeds from a private company.

Rajasekar said planting in a capsule system saves time and cost, far more than cultivating in a nursery. He also added that while 30 kilos of paddy seed is usually required to cultivate on an acre, just 2.5 kilos are sufficient for capsule plantation that takes 90 days; the usual method takes 110 days.

As far as expenses are concerned, the usual planting method costs Rs 25,000, while the capsule method costs up to Rs 15,000, he said, adding, “a total of 60,000 to 62,000 capsules can be sown on an acre. Not only paddy, brinjal and tomato seeds could also be sown using this technique.”

Many of his peers are eagerly awaiting results from Rajasekar’s unique cultivation technique. According to farmers who take up the capsule method, the seed can be planted even before the water is released and when it rains or water is released, the seeds will start germinating once the capsule dissolves.

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