Muthuganesh, a former lorry driver, transforms his farmland to conserve water
After 20 years behind the wheel transporting agro products across Tamil Nadu, Muthuganesh's health began to take a toll. At 52, he made the bold decision to return to his ancestral land in Vadugapatti, Theni district and become a third-generation farmer, just as his father and grandfather had been before him.
The transition wasn't easy. Muthuganesh now depends entirely on farming and livestock rearing for his livelihood, cultivating one hectare of land—half dedicated to paddy cultivation. His fields draw water from the Melmangalam main canal, supplemented by a borewell during dry spells. But unlike many farmers in his village who clung to traditional methods, Muthuganesh quickly realised that to truly thrive, he needed to embrace innovation.
Muthuganesh’s son practicing the drum seeding technique on their paddy farm
Conserving Water with a Simple Tube
In 2025, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) introduced the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation technique to 200 farmers across three villages, including Vadugapatti. The technique involves periodically drying and re-flooding fields. The key to this technique is a simple 30-centimetre water tube called a 'pani pipe.'
Before AWD, Muthuganesh—like most farmers—would flood his fields the moment the surface appeared dry. "I believed paddy needed standing water all the time," he said. With the pani pipe, he could monitor water levels at the root and realised that his field didn’t need to be flooded all the time. Muthuganesh reduced his irrigation cycles by 6–10 per season, conserving water while actually improving his yields.
Equipping to Navigate Labour Scarcity
But water conservation was just the beginning. Farmers in Theni typically transplant paddy seedlings—a labour-intensive process that has become increasingly difficult due to scarcity of workers over the past few years.
When MSSRF introduced the drum seeding technology, it changed how Muthuganesh’s family worked their land. With this equipment, his son could now cover 1 hectare alone, without back-breaking efforts.
Muthuganesh embraced MSSRF's training programmes, especially the water-saving techniques and crop water management practices to improve their productivity. They also received subsidized seed funds, biofertilisers and pani pipes. Through these combined practices and the use of farmyard manure, the family achieved measurable improvements across their operation.
Record Yields and a New Future
By combining AWD with drum seeder method, the family reduced their paddy seed usage from 20 kg to just 8 kg per acre. They performed 6–7 fewer irrigation cycles per season and cut labour costs by 5%. With the flooding of fields reducing, the crop health concerns and pest attacks have also reduced over time.
Muthuganesh had previously averaged 2,000 kgs per acre, but from April to August 2025 he harvested 3,440 kgs—the highest yield he has had so far. His income jumped from ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 per acre.
By adopting new technologies and viewing agriculture through a sustainable lens, Muthuganesh and his sons bolstered their livelihood while conserving water, reducing costs, and effectively navigating labour shortage.
B. Selva Mukilan is a Senior Scientist at MSSRF