Weather stations installed in Pollachi to study climate impact on coconut, nutmeg trees
2
Coimbatore: In a bid to scientifically assess the impact of climate change on crops, particularly coconut and nutmeg, a group of farmers in Pollachi have installed advanced, cost-effective mini meteorological stations at 10 locations in Kottur village.
These stations monitor real-time temperature and humidity, storing data on the cloud for further research.
Pollachi, known for its coconut cultivation, is now witnessing a sharp decline in yield owing to root wilt disease, which affected nearly 30% of the plantations in Pollachi and Anaimalai taluks. This, combined with erratic climate conditions and whitefly menace, makes coconut trees highly vulnerable. Yield has dropped by up to 70% in certain areas, pushing the farmgate price of coconuts up to Rs35 per count and tender coconuts to Rs45 per count.
"The condition of root wilt in plants get worse because of harsh and unpredictable weather and attacks by pests. We need scientific studies and climate data to formulate mitigation policies," said R Ranjit Kumar, managing director, Pollachi Nutmeg Farmer Producer Company.
"The nutmeg crop, traditionally disease-free in this region, is now showing signs of climate-related stress. More than 400 mature nutmeg trees died in the past two summers.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years
IC Markets
Learn More
Undo
The usual harvesting season that begins in June started unusually early in April this year, with 80% of the harvest completed by June-end. Moreover, a rise in immature nutmeg and mace - about 20–40% of total yield - is causing further losses," he said.
To address these issues, the Pollachi Nutmeg Farmer Producer Company, in collaboration with Bengaluru-based Phy Tech, has installed the mini weather stations at a cost of Rs3,000, per unit.
These compact, weatherproof devices function even in network-poor areas by transmitting data over a spectrum allocated for scientific use. Every 10 units feed into a central hub, which relays data to the farmer and uploads it to the cloud.
The company has plans to expand the initiative to all member farms and requested Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to analyse the data to study climate impact and recommend high-value crops like mangosteen, rambutan or blueberry, as potential alternatives to coconut.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Rain lashes western MP dists, city gets just 10mm
Indore: Even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued heavy rainfall alerts for western Madhya Pradesh, Indore received only light showers in the last 24 hours, disappointing residents hoping for significant relief from the dry spell. The city recorded just 10.4 mm of rainfall until Monday morning, with a minor 2.5 mm recorded by 5:30pm, bringing the total seasonal rainfall to 165.1 mm — still 94.4 mm below normal. Despite the subdued rainfall, conditions remained humid throughout the day. Relative humidity peaked at 97% in the morning and stayed at 87% in the evening. The maximum temperature dipped to 27.2 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, while the minimum remained stable at 23.2 degrees Celsius. Winds gusted up to 41 kmph during the night on Sunday. In contrast, districts like Dewas and Ratlam reported heavy showers. Khategaon in Dewas district recorded 140 mm of rainfall on Sunday night, the highest single-day total this season. Other nearby areas such as Satwas (112 mm), Bagli (107 mm), and Kannod (79 mm) also witnessed heavy rain. In Ratlam, rainfall ranged from 73 mm to 108 mm in different tehsils, and steady showers since morning filled up local water bodies like Amrit Sagar Lake. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The all new SP125 that comes with advance technology & features Honda Learn More Undo However, it also led to waterlogging and disruption in low-lying areas. According to IMD Bhopal scientist Arun Sharma, a well-marked low-pressure system over northeast Rajasthan and northwest Madhya Pradesh, along with an active monsoon trough, is causing widespread rainfall. "Western MP districts like Ratlam, Mandsaur, and Neemuch will continue to receive heavy rain with thunderstorms and gusty winds on Tuesday. The activity will gradually shift eastwards from Wednesday," Sharma added. In Indore, overcast skies and forecast alerts failed to translate into significant rain, leaving residents concerned about the prolonged deficit as the core monsoon season progresses.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Manali highway blocked again, commuters stranded for 8 hours; over 190 roads remain disrupted
Shimla: Reopened after more than 24 hours Sunday evening, the Chandigarh-Manali highway was blocked again Monday morning at 4 Mile near Pandoh in Mandi district following a landslide. The road closure resulted in a massive traffic jam as commuters were stuck for more than eight hours. The debris clearance work was also delayed due to shooting stones. The highway reopened around 1.30 pm Monday. "Constant rain and shooting stones hampered the road clearance work as it was very risky. Still, we managed to reopen the highway by 1.30 pm. We also diverted small vehicles through alternate routes via Kamand-Kataula or Gohar-Chailchowk, but heavy vehicles remained stuck on the highway," said an official of the Mandi district administration. Meanwhile, a total of 192 roads remained closed in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, with the highest 146 roads still shut in the flood-affected Mandi district. Road connectivity is still to be restored in the Seraj area of Mandi district, where 91 link roads remained blocked on Monday. Power and water supply also remained disrupted in Mandi district. A total of 59 power transformers and 133 water supply schemes were still to be repaired. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo Overall, 745 water supply schemes remained affected in the state, with the highest 612 in Kangra district. According to the state emergency operation centre (SEOC), the death toll this monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh has reached 105, with the highest number of casualties, 21, in the Mandi district. The state has also incurred a total loss of Rs 786.66 crore since the onset of the monsoon from June 20.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Texas faces another wave of devastating flooding; heavy rains lead to rescues and evacuations
Heavy rains and flooding have hit Texas again, forcing rescues and evacuations just ten days after the state was hit by catastrophic flooding that killed more than 130 people. Another round of heavy rain and flash flooding hit the state over the weekend, leading to more evacuations in Kerrville and the surrounding areas, worsening river levels, and temporarily halting already overburdened emergency rescue missions. Despite the delays, rescue crews plan to resume operations as storm chances decrease. In Kerrville, Texas, a riverbank memorial is gradually emerging as a focal point for community members to come together and grieve for those lost in the recent floods. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Losing Weight with These Barefoot Shoes – You Won't Believe It! Barefoot Vitality Undo How badly did the latest rains impact search efforts? At least 129 people have already died as a result of the initial floods, and more than 170 are still missing, as per a report by The NY Post. Live Events This renewed assault has seriously hampered ongoing search and rescue efforts for the dozens of people who are still missing from the original July 4 floods. Significant rainfall returned over the weekend in the state's most recent gut punch, causing new Flash Flood Emergencies as the San Saba River quickly rose to major flood stage, necessitating mandatory evacuations for residents in low-lying areas. As Kerrville saw yet another round of heavy rains, local police warned residents and even news crews to avoid the rapidly rising Guadalupe River. Senior National Correspondent @JMichaelsNews is in Kerrville, Texas, covering the flash flood tragedy as search crews continue looking for more than 100 people still missing. He reports on how people are dealing with the recovery, physically and emotionally: — The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) July 14, 2025 Katie Byrne of FOX Weather reported from Kerrville on Monday morning that "It's the last thing that these search crews need as they are still looking for so many still missing from last weekend's flash flooding." "Unfortunately, we're expecting more rain here through Wednesday, and that search is still ongoing in the water and along miles of riverbanks," as quoted in a report. Where were evacuations and rescues happening this time? Numerous rescues occurred in places like Lampasas and San Saba, where rivers and creeks swelled dramatically, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The river in Lampasas, northeast of Kerr County, rose from a typical level of 10 feet to over 30 feet, causing extensive road closures and evacuations. Some search operations for victims of the initial Fourth of July 4 flooding, which devastated communities, especially in Kerr County, were temporarily halted by Sunday's sporadic heavy rainfall. Numerous people, including young campers at Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River, are still missing, and the death toll keeps rising. Is there any relief in the forecast for Texas? Despite the setbacks, first responder teams emphasize that as the immediate threat of the strongest storms lessens, they are committed to returning to their vital, life-saving work on Monday. According to the FOX Forecast Center, the likelihood of storms will begin to decline on Monday and continue to do so through Tuesday. Even though there won't be as many storms overall, any storm that does form could bring with it 1-2 inches of rain, as quoted in a report by the NY Post. FAQs Are search teams still searching for the missing? Yes, despite the fact that operations were halted on Sunday due to rain, teams are returning to work as the weather improves. How many people remain unaccounted for? Over 170 people are still missing, with 129 confirmed dead from the July 4 flooding.
