Extent of sustainable farm practices in paddy cultivation of cauvery delta in Tamil nadu

Sustaining the productivity of natural resources is most important issue in the 21st century. There is an urgent need for proper distribution, efficient utilization, better management and proper development of natural resources. They are addressed with the view of fulfilling the ever-growing demand for food, fodder and fiber and fuel by both present and future generation. Sustainable Agriculture is a loosely defined term that comprises a range of strategies for addressing many of the problems that affect agriculture world-wide. These problems include the loss of soil productivity by intensive cultivation and allowing soil erosion; pollution of surface and ground water by extensive use of pesticides and fertilizer; diminishing supplies of non-renewable resources by over extraction; diminishing the quality of renewable resources by unmindful waste generation and discharge; increase in global warming by changing crop pattern; and so on. The technological transfer drive of which, one part forms the yielding wonder seeds, the other parts of the process are application of fertilizer and pesticides, improved water supplies, following intensive and extensive cropping, better cultural practices, etc. The environmental cost is outweighing the net development benefits level and thus sustainable development of natural capital starts to move in negative direction. Specific objectives of the study: i) to find out to what extent the farmers of the study area are practicing sustainable paddy cultivation in the Cauvery delta ii) to analyze the factors contributing the present level of sustainable farm practices and iii) to examine the impacts of sustainable practices on the farm income. This study uses both primary and secondary data. Primary data collected from the select households of the study village, who follow sustainable farm practices, after getting ideas from various sources and secondary data are collected from the different government offices at block level and from published and unpublished sources.