The success of soybean crop's cultivation in Madhya Pradesh has inspired its development in other states. It is now set to emerge as a premium crop in the south. Business Standard presents an overview.
Tamil Nadu: Soybean was introduced in Tamil Nadu in the 1970s in all the districts of the state to evaluate agro-climatic suitability. The state has a set cropping pattern. The process was undertaken to assess soybean's potential as an oilseed crop and its economic viability, vis-a vis pulses like green gram (moong), black gram (urid), lobia, sesame (till, gingle). At present, soybean is grown in the districts of Coimbatore, Salem, South Arcot, Vilupuram, Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Chengai MGR.
The area under cultivation has gone up from 0.0047 lakh metric tonnes (0.01 lakh hectares) in 1991-92 to 0.0221 lakh mt (0.022 lakh hectares) in 1995-96. The productivity has also gone up from 476 kg/hectare to 1083 kg/hectare during the same period. Agriculture director P A Ramaiah said the Delta districts, where rice fallows predominate, are suited for soybean instead of oilseed sesamum which give low returns.
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He said in partially irrigated areas, the state's strategy should be to cultivate 1.5/2.0 tonnes/ hectare of soybean to make it more remunerative.
Eighty per cent of soybean is grown as a Rabi crop. According to sources in the Department of Agriculture, the area coverage during 1996-97 was 9000 to 10,000 hectares. However, Tamil Nadu is planning to increase it to 100.000 hectares in the near future.
The state has taken note of the Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA)'s supplemental efforts which acted as a catalyst in keeping soybean in focus all the time. This also contributed in the phenomenal growth of soybean in MP and its adjoining states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
The Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) has released a soybean variety, CO-1, which is being grown along with JS-335 in the state. The soybean rust caused by