Analysis of the Korangadu agro-pasture system of Tamil Nadu

The present study was conducted in Coimbatore, Erode, Karur and Tirupur districts of Tamil Nadu with the objective to analyze the Korangadu agro-pasture system of Tamil Nadu. Snowball sampling technique was pursued to identify 50 Kangayam cattle farmers in each district, thus a total of 200 respondents were selected for the study. 100 Kangayam farmers out of the selected 200, who have Korangadu farm lands in operating condition at the time of study, were selected adopting proportionate random sampling technique. The data regarding management of Korangadu farming land were gathered from the respondents through the interview schedule during personal interviews and the data was analyzed by using appropriate statistical methods. Results revealed that majority (64.00 per cent) of the respondents had Korangadu farm land within three kilometre distance from their residence, all the respondents (100.00 per cent) ploughed their korangadu farm land soon after summer showers and for this activity above one-half of the respondents (52.00 per cent) prepared their land by using Kangayam cattle and all the respondents (100.00 per cent) sowed Cenchrus grass during September – October months and they developed live fencing by using Kiluvai / Mullukiluvai (Commiphora berryii). Most of the respondents (76.00 per cent) installed cement tanks / plastic troughs. etc., inside the Korangadu farm land, 82.00 per cent of the respondents had up to 20 Velvel (Acacia leucophloea) trees per acre of land and 72.00 per cent of the respondents allowed four adult Kangayam cattle plus four calves or 40 sheep or six buffaloes per four hectares of their Korangadu farm land.