Under the financial support of Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology-Dissemination of Technology (TNSCST-DIT) , Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore combinedly organized and conducted 3 days Hands-on-training on “Entrepreneurship developmental training for the production of Algal biofertilizer (Azolla) for empowerment and enhancing the livelihood of rural farmers and rural women” from 08.7.2025 to 10.7.25 with 30 beneficiaries including farmers, entrepreneurs and self help group women from Thondamuthur and S.S.Kulam blocks of Coimbatore district.
The training inauguration was started with Thamizhthai vaazhthu, followed by Dr.U.Sivakumar, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Microbiology delivered the welcome address and honoured the Chief guests. Followed by Dr.R.Thamizh Vendan, Registrar cum Acting Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, Coimbatore delivered the presidential address and released the training brochure. In his talk he insisted the farmers to focus their crop production towards nutritional and health security than food security by inclusion of this kind of biofertilizers.
The special address was given by Dr.P.Balasubramaniam, Director (Natural Resource Management) mentioned about the importance of beneficial microbes in terms of production, protection and decomposition for eco-friendly and sustainable production. Succeeded by Dr.K.Kumar , Retired Professor (Microbiology) and former Director (Natural Resource Management) gave a key note about Azolla and its importance as biofertilizer for sustainable rice production and as alternate feed supplement for animals. The inaugural function was end up with distribution of azolla production kit to the beneficiaries and the words of thanks given by Dr.M.Gnanachitra, Professor & Scheme Coordinator (TNSCST-DIT).
The technical session on Azolla was started by Dr.K.Kumar, Retired Professor (Microbiology), he gave an elaborative lecture on azolla, distribution, types, nutritional value and production methods. The next technical session on ‘Azolla as feed supplement for Cattles and Goat were delivered in detail by Dr.M.Thirunavukkarasu, Asst.Professor and Dr.R.Prabakar, Asst.Professor and for poultry by Dr.P.Chitra, Assoc.Professor, Department of Animal Husbandry, TNAU, Coimbatore.
The second day (9.7.2025) and third day (10.7.2025) training programme was conducted as off campus training-cum demonstration on azolla mass production and the method to use as biofertilizer for paddy and feed for cattle, goat and poultry. The three days azolla mass production training was smoothly finished with the certificate distribution to the beneficiaries.