The Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) at Sreekaryam here has launched training of farmers in the use of the Electronic Crop (E-Crop), an IOT device developed by the institute that offers single-point solutions to many precision-farming problems.
Minister for Agriculture P. Prasad inaugurated the sessions by launching an E-Crop-based smart fertigation facility at the CTCRI on Thursday.
As part of the programme, 100 farmers from five grama panchayats under Nedumangad block namely Aruvikkara, Panavoor, Karakulam, Vembayam and Anad were provided training.
Mr. Prasad said the farming community should be given priority when a new technology was developed. The agricultural sector would gain vigour only when farmers become 'smart' through the use of smart technologies in agriculture, he said.
The E-Crop, developed in 2014 by Santhosh Mithra, principal scientist, CTCRI, is designed to increase farmers' incomes. Dr. Vikramadithya Pandey, assistant director-general (Horticultural Sciences), Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, delivered the keynote address.
L.R. Arathy, Kerala State Horticulture Mission, launched the SMS services of E-Crop and released a publication on 'Integrated management of mealy bugs in cassava.' CTCRI director M.N. Sheela, Dr. Mithra, and Sheela Immanuel, head, Extension and Social Science, CTCRI, proposed a vote of thanks.
