The cost-effective technique is set to go global as the officer, also the State commissioner of disaster management, is scheduled to spread this method in Africa, where the farmers are exploring cost effective techniques. 

Sathyagopal was recently invited by RIMES (Regional Integrated Multi Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia), an organisation that works with UN on subjects like climate change.

“The basic concept of the technique is to ensure that saplings are grown by providing water and nourishment directly to the roots using sand manure. Under this system, the water will reach the roots faster and the manure and coconut pith kept near the roots sustain the moisture,” explains Sathyagopal.

“After the success in delta, the project will now be extended to other districts of the state. It will help farmers to save big on maintenance costs. A few collectors in TN are also popularising the technique among farmers as it saves water by more than 50 per cent and when coupled with the drip irrigation method, the maintenance will come down by 60 per cent,” says Sathyagopal. 

Last year, the technique was experimented in Tiruvarur where saplings of Pongamia Pinnata and timber showed good results. This year, vegetables were grown using the same technique and the results were encouraging, said a revenue official in the delta region.

According to the one-year observation, the plants raised under root zone method grew faster and with better girth. In the case of timber, the results were encouraging with the regular plant growing 130 cm in height, whereas those grown through root zone measured 570 cm. 

“This year, we tried the root zone method with cucumber, ash gourd, snake gourd, pumpkin and the yield has doubled,” adds a revenue official. “Last year, I lost two harvests as my vegetable crops died due to inundation and water shortage. This year, I tried cucumber using the root zone irrigation and it produced excellent results,” said Singaram, a farmer from Thiruthuraipoondi.

“Pumpkin yield using root zone method is encouraging and the water demand through the new method is minimal. Earlier we will water the crops once in four or five days. Under the new method, we water the plants only once in 10 days,” M Balakrishnan of Sundarakottai village in Mannargudi said.