Dr. D. Kannan, Head of the Botany Department, Thiagarajar College, along with Assistant Professors Dr. V. Karthikeyan and Dr. K. Jegadheesan, participated in the special occasion of paddy transplanting in the Model Organic Rice Diversity Block, accompanied by 25 students from the Department of Botany, Thiagarajar College. They actively engaged in the transplantation of young paddy seedlings in the main field and interacted with the farmers present, enhancing their practical knowledge of paddy farming. The participants expressed gratitude to both CREATE and Thiagarajar College for providing this valuable opportunity.

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Dr. P. Duraisingam, Chairman of CREATE, explained that this collaborative effort is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CREATE and Thiagarajar College, aimed at involving students, especially those in the Department of Botany, in the dissemination of traditional paddy varieties and the promotion of organic farming. He emphasized that students should consider this as a Field Learning Site, making periodic visits to the RDB, interacting with farmers and CREATE staff, supporting them in the process of information collection and documentation of each variety planted, and compiling this information into a handbook for wider dissemination and use.