Ponni Rice Cultivation Thanjavur Cauvery Delta Tamil Nadu

Ponni rice, the dominant variety cultivated in the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, represents the agricultural backbone of the Kaveri delta civilisation that has been under continuous cultivation for at least 1,500 years, with the temple inscriptions of Thanjavur documenting the paddy varieties and irrigation systems maintained by successive Chola, Nayaka, and British-era administration. Ponni is a medium-grain variety with a soft cooked texture and slightly aromatic flavour, suited to double cropping on the delta lands with the Kuruvai (July harvest) and Samba (January harvest) seasons enabled by the Mettur and Grand Anicut irrigation system of the Cauvery. The Thanjavur granary supplies rice to the Tamil Nadu public distribution system and the premium Sona Masoori and Ponni export streams. Traditional Thanjavur paddy cultivation maintains the nadapu transplanting system where seedlings are transplanted in closely spaced rows to a flooded field prepared by bullock ploughing, and the region still maintains the highest share of draught animal-assisted cultivation in Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka affects the Kuruvai planting schedule in dry years.