An automatic weather station is to be established in the grape research station here at a cost of Rs 12 lakh and is expected to start functioning in the next four months.

According to professor and head of the grape research station, S Parthiban, the Cumbum valley in the district has a unique climate which is extremely conducive for grape cultivation. Nearly, 5,000 acres are under grape cultivation in the Cumbum valley. "In many parts of the world, the climatic conditions remain favourable only for a single crop a year, whereas here, the conditions remain favourable for at least five crops per year," and the grapes can be cultivated all through the year he said.

"Though five crops can be obtained, the farmers in this region take about three crops, out of which only two are usually successful. This is because one crop overlaps with the monsoon season, resulting in loss of crop due to diseases like downy mildew, powdery mildew and anthracnose disease," he said. The grape research station, which looks at ways and means to encourage the farmers, decided to set up a weather station and the vice-chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Dr C Ramasamy also gave the nod for the project.

Experts from the Coimbatore meteorological department, who visited the station, have identified 50 cents within the 28.48-acre research station for setting up the weather station. Parthiban said that once it started functioning, the farmers will have to register themselves with them and weather alerts, including prevalence of rainfall, temperatures, humidity, wind velocity and soil temperatures will be communicated to them on a regular basis. This would help the farmers spray fungicide and initiate timely preventive measures and safeguard the crops to a large extent. Thus this would lead to plant-protection measures at lesser cost and maximise yield, he said.

Parthiban added that 100 varieties of grapes were to be brought from the National Research Centre for Grapes in Pune very soon and the farmers would be introduced to the varieties of grapes that can be used for making juice, raisins and wines. Farmers would also get an opportunity to cultivate the grapes used for production of white and red wines, but they have to identify winemakers. to make a profit.

In addition, the grape station is soon to get a cold-storage facility as a pilot project, which would enable the farmers to store grapes for 30 to 45 days and sell it in the offseason period and make good profit, he said.

Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com