Farmers Embrace the Future: Drone Technology Showcased at ICAR’s Awareness Program
Today at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation in Dehradun, Research Area, Selaqui, there was a successful one-day awareness program and demonstration on drone technology based on the “Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPVFRA).” The National Agricultural Innovation Fund and ADP Scheme put on the event, which 52 farmers from Kachiwala, Selakui, Rampur, and nearby villages attended.
Dr. JMS Tomar, Head of the Plant Science Division, gave a welcome speech at the start of the session. He talked about the nine main rights that farmers have under the PPVFRA and how important it is to register plant varieties.
In his speech, Dr. M. Madhu, Director of the Institute, said that the PPVFRA protects farmers’ rights and encourages new ideas. He thanked farmers for all the work they do to protect soil and water.
Prof. NP Todaria, who used to be the Dean and Head of the Department at HNB Garhwal Central University, talked to the farmers and shared what he knew about how PPVFRA was being used in forestry and horticulture. Dr. BS Negi, who used to be the Director of Horticulture and the National Horticulture Mission of Uttarakhand, talked about problems with horticultural crops and gave useful solutions.
Dr. M. Shankar, who is in charge of the Research Farm in Selaqui, showed how drones work in real life. He said that drones are being used more and more in modern farming to do things like spray pesticides and fertilizers, keep an eye on the health of crops, and lower the cost of production.
Mudit Mishra (Technical Coordinator) and Abhishek Pundir put the program together. Dr. Rajesh Kaushal, Dr. Vibha Singhal, and other scientists and staff from the institute were there. Dr. Anupam Barh, a scientist, ended the event by thanking the guests and farmers and giving them a formal vote of thanks.
