12.5 Acres Total · Permanent RainGun + Mini Sprinkler · Since 2011 · Muthur, Tamil Nadu · Natural Farming
Mr. Periyasamy of Muthur, Tamil Nadu, began his farming journey after completing his engineering degree (B.E.), and first came across Thumba Agro Technologies at an agricultural exhibition in Coimbatore. He came to us with a dual requirement: a Permanent RainGun System for 7.5 acres of sugarcane (with groundnut grown as an intercrop), and a Permanent Mini Sprinkler System for 5 acres of a 20-year-old coconut farm (with banana grown as an intercrop).
His land is fed by 3 open wells, each 60 feet deep. Our team began by replacing all of his conventional low-pressure pumpsets with our own-designed, own-manufactured high-pressure pump sets — two 7.5HP pumps and one 10HP pump — each sized to the exact pressure and discharge requirements of the RainGun and Sprinkler systems respectively. The systems were erected in 2011 and remain in service today.
Across all 7.5 acres, Mr. Periyasamy achieved a maximum yield of 79 tons per acre of sugarcane — with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide used at any stage, following complete natural farming practices. His crop grew to a total height of 20 feet, tall enough that harvest required a two-stage approach: the top 12 feet were cut first, followed by the remaining bottom 7 feet in a second pass — a "double cut" method that made harvesting the tall cane practical. Across all 7.5 acres this delivered a total of 595 tons, sustained for up to 5 years after installation.
His groundnut intercrop, grown in the same sugarcane fields, reached 1,000 kg per acre — additional income from land that was already being irrigated, with no extra water infrastructure required.
The same success carried through to his 20-year-old, 5-acre coconut farm. After switching to the Permanent Mini Sprinkler System, coconut yield increased to 230 coconuts per tree per year. His banana intercrop added a further income stream from the same land.
A 4.5-feet line spacing across the farm allowed machine weeding, mulching, and pond-making to be carried out efficiently — sowing the seeds, in the client's own words, of expenses running "much better" than before.
This project used a special cultivation technique designed to get maximum yield with minimum labour dependency, following natural farming practices without any chemical fertilizers or weedicides. The RainGun system is the backbone of the whole operation — it does far more than simply water the crop.
The land is prepared as raised beds of 2.5 feet breadth, with 4.5 feet between bed centres. A tractor-mounted cultivator forms these beds across the whole 7.5 acres in about 7 hours, with no manual work involved. Groundnut seeds are sown first on the raised beds — by hand, or with a tractor line-planting machine. After 30 days, sugarcane saplings (setts) are planted in the 4.5-feet spacing canals between the beds. Both crops then grow together under RainGun irrigation.
RainGun irrigation keeps the soil healthy by maintaining softened, aerated conditions. The system's defining advantages here are 60% water saving, no field canals, no ponds, very little labour, and far less time spent irrigating — all of which shape every activity in this style of farming.
After 115 days, the groundnut is harvested by hand within 10 days. The lower sugarcane leaves are then stripped and laid down in the 4.5-feet gaps as a natural input for crop growth. The RainGun — sprinkling water above crop height — helps this leaf matter decay and supports the growth of soil micro-organisms on the top of the soil. To speed up the bio-digestion of the mulch, the leaves are slushed in with a power tiller.
At 150 days after planting, an "earthing up" operation is carried out to support the stems against wind velocity and to spread the roots so they absorb more nutrients from the soil. This work is done with a power tiller running in the 4.5-feet intervals. After earthing up, the cane grew to an abnormal height of up to 20 feet — reached at around 270 days after planting, which is the ideal point for harvesting maximum weight. The sugar mill, however, issued its cutting order after only 30 more days, so the crop was finally cut on the 300th day.
A 20-foot sugarcane crop cannot be cut in a single pass. So it is harvested by the "double cut" method — the top 12 feet is cut first, then the bottom 7 feet. Across the whole 7.5 acres this delivered a total yield of 595 tons — 79 tons per acre. The system continued to produce at this level for up to 5 years after installation.
Severe water scarcity later affected the area, so Mr. Periyasamy reduced the cultivated area to 4 acres and below. He now uses the same Thumba system seasonally for vegetable crops, maize, sago and sugarcane, matching the crop to the water available. The system remains in running condition today, powered by our own-designed high-pressure special-type motors.
| System 1 | Permanent RainGun System — 7.5 Acres Sugarcane (Groundnut Intercrop) |
| System 2 | Permanent Mini Sprinkler System — 5 Acres Coconut (Banana Intercrop) |
| Water Source | 3 Open Wells — 60 feet depth each |
| Pumps | 2 × 7.5HP + 1 × 10HP — own-designed, own-manufactured high-pressure Thumba pumpsets (replacing conventional low-pressure sets) |
| Location | Muthur, Tamil Nadu |
| Erection Year | 2011 |
| Peak Sugarcane Yield | 79 Tons / Acre (across all 7.5 acres) |
| Groundnut Intercrop Yield | 1,000 kg / acre |
| Coconut Yield | 230 Coconuts / Tree / Year |
| Farming Practice | Complete Natural Farming — no chemical fertilizer or pesticide used |
Mr. Periyasamy achieved a maximum yield of 79 tons per acre across all 7.5 acres of sugarcane — grown entirely with natural farming practices, with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide used. His groundnut intercrop also reached 1,000 kg/acre in the same fields.
On Mr. Periyasamy's 20-year-old, 5-acre coconut farm, switching to a Permanent Mini Sprinkler System increased yield to 230 coconuts per tree per year. Consistent, uniform watering at the root zone — instead of relying on conventional low-pressure flooding — supports steadier fruit development across the year.
With RainGun irrigation supporting vigorous growth, Mr. Periyasamy's sugarcane reached a total height of 20 feet. To harvest efficiently, the top 12 feet were cut first, followed by the remaining bottom 7 feet in a second cut — the "double cut" method — making harvest of very tall cane manageable.
For Mr. Periyasamy's 3 open wells (each 60 feet deep) feeding both a 7.5-acre RainGun system and a 5-acre Mini Sprinkler system, Thumba replaced his conventional low-pressure pumpsets with our own-designed high-pressure units: two 7.5HP pumps and one 10HP pump, sized to the exact pressure and discharge requirements of each system.
Yes. Mr. Periyasamy intercropped groundnut with sugarcane (reaching 1,000 kg/acre) and banana with coconut, generating additional income from the same land. A 4.5-feet line spacing also allowed machine weeding, mulching and pond-making — further improving his overall farm economics.
We'll study your field, recommend the right system — RainGun, Sprinkler or both — and design it specifically for your crops, just as we did for Mr. Periyasamy in 2011.
Get a Free Field Study & Quote WhatsApp Us +91 98433 35703
