Bumper yield of over 5,000 kg of groundnut per hectare expected

A progressive farmer, who had cultivated a high-yielding drought-resistant groundnut variety, developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), has harvested over five tonnes of yield, which is 200 per cent more than the harvest being obtained from the local variety.

When the Palayamkottai Central Prison administration cultivated BARC’s TG-37A groundnut variety, it harvested bumper yield of 5,600 kg per hectare in June last year. Impressed with the yield, farmer T. Sevlaraj of Kudankulam took a lead role in popularising the variety among his fellow-farmers.

As a goodwill gesture, R. Kanagaraj, Superintendent of Palayamkottai Central Prison gave the groundnut seeds of TG-37 A variety free of cost.

The progressive farmer sowed the seeds in phases on 2.5 acres under the guidance of K. Murugesh, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Radhapuram, and J. Daniel Chellappa, Senior Scientist, Technical Coordination Wing, BARC, Chennai. The harvest of 105-day old crop commenced on Friday.

Mr. Murugesh said a bumper yield of over 5,000 kg per hectare was expected in Kudankulam as BARC’s TG37A groundnut variety was far superior to the local variety being traditionally sown by the Kudankulam farmers.

Mr. Daniel Chellappa expressed happiness over the yield. “BARC scientists’ hard work in indigenously developing the high-yielding drought tolerant, disease-resistant and early maturing TG37A groundnut variety has started benefiting the farming community of Kudankulam,” he said.