A training on Smart Farming using e-crop was  inaugurated by Shri P.Prasad,State Minister for Agriculture Development and Farmers Welfare,  on 16th June, 2022 at ICAR – CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram by launching the e-crop based smart fertigation facility.  The Electronic Crop (e-crop) is an IOT device based on artificial intelligence technology like ICT as part of increasing farmer’s income and it is first of its kind developed in India in 2014 by Dr. Santhosh Mithra, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CTCRI, and Thiruvananthapuram. While delivering the welcome address Dr.M.N.Sheela, Director   ICAR-CTCRI spoke about the technologies developed by the Institute and about the schemes implemented by the Institute. Launching the facility, the  Minister said that the farmers become smart when smart services are provided to them. The agricultural sector will gain vigour only when farmers become smart. Every human being who consumes food is related to agriculture. The Government and the society has to interfere to solve the problems being faced by the farmers. Whenever a technology is developed, farmers need should be given priority. He congratulated all the staff of ICAR-CTCRI during this occasion. Dr.Mithra gave a brief about the project on e crop.    

Dr. Vikramadithya Pandey, Assistant Director General (Horticultural Sciences.) , ICAR, New Delhi delivered the key note address.  He stressed the need of human touch in the effective transfer of technology and appreciated Dr. Santhosh Mithra for developing and popularizing the technologies of  e-crop device.  Smt. L.R. Arathy, IES, Director, Kerala State Horticulture Mission (SHM) was the Guest of Honour.  She said the Mission  is willing to provide financial support to the farmers for installation of such facilities in their fields. She also launched the SMS services of e-crop and released a publication on “Integrated management of mealy bugs in Cassava”. Dr. Sheela Immanuel, SIC, ESS proposed the vote of thanks.

As a part of this programme, 100 farmers from five Panchayats of Nedumangadu blocks, Aruvikkara, Panavoor, Karakularm, Vembayam and Anad were trained in e-crop based smart farming facility.  

 

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(Release ID: 1834583)