A farmer in Tamil Nadu's Mayiladuthurai district cultivates paddy in the 'capsule' method, sowing it for future farming, focusing on modern agriculture. Rajasekar, a 52-year-old farmer from Mangainallur village, holds a number of academic credentials, including an MCom, BEd, ICWA, DCA, DCPA, PGDCM, and a diploma in agriculture.
But, rather than seeking employment in urban areas or even cities, he has remained on his farm for many years.
Rajasekar works as a subsistence farmer in Kandhamangalam village, growing only traditional paddy varieties on five acres of land. He uses innovation to cultivate traditional paddy varieties such as Karuppu Kavuni, Seeragasamba, Karunguruvai, and others.
Rajasekar has planted Arupadham Kuruvai, a traditional paddy variety, in a "capsule" this year "On an acre, there is a system. "Each capsule contains three paddy seeds as well as seaweed, neem, sorghum, and plant-promoting granules in a 3:1:1:1 ratio, allowing the seed to be planted directly on the field after being encased in a capsule." "He went on to say that he got the seeds from a private company.”
Planting in a capsule system, according to Rajasekar, saves time and money compared to cultivating in a nursery. He also mentioned that, while 30 kilos of paddy seed is typically required to cultivate an acre, only 2.5 kilos are required for capsule plantation, which takes 90 days versus 110 days for the traditional method.
"A total of 60,000 to 62,000 capsules can be sown on an acre," he said, adding that "the usual planting method costs Rs 25,000, while the capsule method costs up to Rs 15,000." This method could also be used to sow paddy, brinjal, and tomato seeds."
Many of Rajasekar's peers are eagerly awaiting the results of his novel cultivation technique. Farmers who use the capsule method claim that the seed can be planted before the water is released, and that once the capsule dissolves, the seeds will germinate.
