Lack of proper adoption of latest technologies by farmers and their 'mentally unpreparedness' to utilise them were among the various reasons for the growth hovering around two to 2.5 per cent for the last few years, Dr P Murugesa Boopathy, the new Vice-Chancellor of the university, said.
  
Talking to reporters after taking over as vice-chancellor this morning, Boopathy said, with filling up of almost all the posts in the agriculture department, it would not be difficult now to percolate many research findings and technologies down to the field for the benefit of farmers.
   
Even to cope with the shortage of farm labourers, the department has developed necessary implement and instruments for large-scale farm mechanization, with the Japan and Chinese technology and with the subsidy for the farmers, he said.
   
To give the necessary impetus to the sector in Tamil Nadu, the university had come out with different schemes like precision farming, system of rice intensification, strengthening of marketing intelligence, providing quality seeds and also crop-specific bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers, he said.
   
On the controversy of GM crops, like brinjal and maize, Boopathy said the university was carrying out trials on this and if they were against the interests of farmers, it would be dropped immediately