Agriculture – Page 2 – Karnataka First

KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURE : INVENTIONS: Farmer in Bantwal Invents ‘pipe gun’ to protect crop from birds

A farming family in the taluk is protecting its crop from the birds through a simple of pipe.

This year due to scarcity of rain, farmers had to struggle to water their paddy crop. Once the crop has grown to a good height, the birds come and devour them. A farmer in the taluk has come up with a novel idea of using a pipe bend and crackers to scare away the birds.

Nelson keeps a small cracker on one end of the iron pipe of half inch diameter and lights it. It makes a huge sound which passes through the other open end of the pipe and scares animals and birds.

It was a challenge to Nelson and his family to save the crops that had reached harvest stage to protect it from monkeys and birds. Now this simple technique has given the family a big relief. The iron pipe costs Rs 50 and the cracker to be kept on the other end costs just Rs one.

Nelson always keeps the small bent pipe with him when he strolls through his fields. He is expecting high yield this year, though the rain was scarce. His invention is not only saved his crop but has also enlightened the farmers of the taluk to use the technique and protect their crops.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL & KARNATAKA : SILK INDUSTRY: Sericulture And Silk Industry International Training Session Begins, Mysuru

Over 30 foreign delegates attend month-long programme at Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute in Mysuru city.

A month-long international training programme on ‘Sericulture and Silk Industry’ began at the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSRTI) in the city this morning.

More than 30 delegates from countries including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Laos, Thailand and Bangladesh are participating.

This training programme is conducted under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The trainees will undergo 30 days of practical training in mulberry silkworm rearing, complemented by classroom teaching and exposure visits to all sectors of sericulture.

The event was inaugurated at CSRTI premises on Manandavadi Road here by Dr. C. Meenakshi, Director (Finance) and Member-Secretary of the Central Silk Board, in the presence of Dr. Gandhi Doss, Director of CSRTI and R. Dileep Kumar, Executive Director of the International Sericulture Commission.

Dr. Meenakshi emphasised the importance of sericulture technologies and training for the development of the silk industry. She highlighted India’s unique position in the world’s premium silk production and the role of the International Sericulture Commission in conducting the international training.

Dr. Meenakshi stated that the trainees would receive hands-on training in mulberry silkworm rearing for four weeks and be exposed to the latest technologies developed by CSRTI. They will also visit progressive sericulture farmers and allied sectors of sericulture in and around Mysuru, with the goal of increasing silk production worldwide.

She informed the delegates that CSRTI Mysuru, as a pioneering Sericultural Research Institute under the Central Silk Board, is dedicated to research and development of technologies to enhance silk productivity and quality in India.

The institute also conducts training programmes on various aspects of sericulture for national and international participants. She encouraged the trainees to share the knowledge gained from quality silk cultivation in their respective nations.

According to CSRTI, the main objectives of this training programme are to support the introduction and development of sericulture activities in third-world countries, generate skilled manpower in sericulture, provide training in extension management and technology transfer, and impart knowledge in post-cocoon technology and successful commercial sericulture practices for replication in other developed countries.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: MARINE & FISHERIES: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) Scientists Facilitate Successful Cultivation of Indian Pompano through Cage Fish Culture in Padhthonse Village, Udupi district

A team of scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mangaluru, has facilitated successful cultivation of Indian Pompano (Trachinotus mookalee) for the first time in Karnataka in the Swarna estuary at Padhthonse village, Udupi district, and its harvest was done from June 2 to June 26.

The pilot project began last November under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan Programme, wherein the beneficiaries got hands-on training in various aspects of cage culture.

Indian Pompano fingerlings, measuring 2-3 cm, were procured from the marine finfish hatchery of the Vishakhapatnam Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI.

About 4,000 fingerlings, each weighing 3-4 gm, were released into cages at a density of 40-50 fishes per cubic metre after acclimatising them to the local condition.

The fingerlings were fed pelleted floating feed twice a day, amounting to 5% of their body weight, said a release from CMFRI-Mangaluru.

After a five-month grow-out period, the Indian Pompano was harvested in batches between June 2 and 26. The average growth observed during this period was 400-450 gm, resulting in a total harvest of 1,300 kg with survival rate of 90%.

The beneficiaries sold the harvested fish locally, fetching prices ranging from ₹450 to ₹490 per kg generating ₹6.1 lakh revenue. With expenses at ₹3.75 lakh, the net profit earned was ₹2.35 lakh in six months.

Success of the pilot would not only provide alternative livelihood for SC families, but also help other local communities. The success has demonstrated the rapid growth rate of Indian Pompano to reach the preferred table-size in six months and the favourable market demand for the same.

Cage cultivation of fish in coastal Karnataka began in 2009-10 in coastal rivers with over 900 cages being installed in estuaries till now.

The Fisheries Department, the National Fisheries Development Corporation etc., extended financial support to over 500 families. Seabass, Red Snapper and Snubnose Pompano were among the species grown in cages.

The research programme was led by A.P. Dineshbabu and his team of scientists comprising Sujitha Thomas, Geetha Sasikumar, Rajesh K. M., and Divya Viswambharan.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURE: ‘Cotton Growers’ Convention’ at Agriculture College, Yadgir District

Channappa Anegundi, district president of Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha, has said that the cotton growers’ convention at Agriculture College in Bheemarayanagudi, Shahapur taluk of Yadgir district, will be held on Monday.

He was addressing a press conference in Yadgir on Saturday. He said that cotton growers are facing many difficulties majorly the menace of sub-standard sowing seeds. The Centre had failed to take action to prevent such illegal acts. Moreover, the cotton growers have been demand hike in support price. However, the government fixed ₹6,500 per quintal and as a result, many farmers had not sold cotton, waiting for a good price.

Mr. Anegundi said that at the convention, the farmers’ issues will be discussed and a resolution will be passed to take them to the government for immediate solution. Akhila Bharat Kisan Sabha leader Viju Krishnan will take part in the convention and interact with the participants. Around 500 farmers from Kalaburagi, Vijayapur, Raichur, and Yadgir districts are expected to participate.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: RURAL INNOVATION / AGRICULTURE : Siddapur Farmer Vidyadhar Bhat Designs Wonder Modified Vehicle that carries 300 kilos of load

Though the vehicle looks like a scooter, it does work of an autorickshaw. It is also quite useful for the farmers.

A farmer who was tired of carrying things on his shoulders has designed this vehicle, which is developed from his old TVS moped.

The farmer who has designed this unique vehicle is none other than Vidhyadhar Bhat, a resident of Unchalli of Siddapur taluk of the district.

An old TVS moped that was lying in Vidhyadhar Bhat’s house was getting rusted. So Bhat thought of using it as a cart vehicle and a sketch was made in cooperation with local engineer Prashanth. Later, they developed a three-wheeler vehicle having tyres of a scooty and an auto.

The vehicle has the engine of CT 100 and has brakes of an Omni vehicle. A container that is fitted on the backside can carry up to 300 kilos of load. The vehicle has a fan and an intercooler as well.

The vehicle gives a mileage of 20 km to a litre if the load is full. Otherwise it can give up to 30 to 35 kilometers to a litre. On the whole, this wonder vehicle is farmer-friendly. This vehicle allows the farmer to finish off his work without depending much on labourers for farm-related work.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Tech blog winner’s programme to identify plants may prove a game changer in Ayurvedic pharma sector

Dr K V N Rajesh, a certified trainer on the Azure platform and holds a doctorate in deep learning, says that his model has achieved 95 per cent accuracy in identifying images of leaves available on the internet, based on the plant “flavia”.

With Ayurveda making rapid strides in the Indian pharmaceutical industry, the winning entry by Dr K V N Rajesh in the first phase of the ongoing Microsoft Azure Blogathon contest may prove to bring dynamic change rooted in this direction. The programme, written in the Python programming language and using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, is intended to help distinguish between different types of plants.

Rajesh, who is a certified trainer on the Azure platform and holds a doctorate in deep learning, said that there are many species of plants and identifying them based on the leaves is a task that needs to be solved. “Many companies making Ayurvedic products use leaves in their products, and identifying the exact species is a crucial problem,” he says. He also explains that the same concept can be applied in the agricultural field, specifically with regard to dealing with plant diseases and pests.

“Plant leaves have attributes such as colour, shape, texture etc. based on which you can identify them. I developed an architecture based on a deep learning model, a subset of artificial intelligence which will automatically grasp these attributes. The model which is generated is trained with images of leaves. When the model training is complete, it is validated based on the data set of the leaves,” he points out.

The second phase of testing involves testing the accuracy of the model. According to Rajesh, his model has achieved 95 per cent accuracy in identifying images of leaves available on the internet, based on the plant “flavia”.

“Thirty per cent of the images were used to train the model, and the rest were used to test it,” he says. He intends to take the programme further by incorporating it into a mobile application.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HORTICULTURE & AGRICULTURE: Green theory. New Documentary on Horticulturist HC Javaraya – The First Deputy Superintendent of Lalbagh

This city-based documentary maker’s latest explores the life of celebrated horticulturist HC Javaraya.

It is known to every Bengalurean that German horticulturist Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, changed the landscape of the city, but his successor HC Javaraya also had an equal contribution to it. The latest book by Meera Iyer, a writer, researcher and convenor of INTACH, Bahadur HC Javaraya: A Gardener and a Gentleman, revolves around the life of horticulturist HC Javaraya. Inspired from the book, city-based filmmaker Ganesh Shankar Raj has adapted it into a documentary.

Raj says Javaraya was one of the key and native horticulturists in India, and the first deputy superintendent of Lalbagh. “He was a successor of renowned horticulturist Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, who actually set up various gardens in Bengaluru. Even the Indian Institute of Horticulture and Research (IIHR) was set up by this gentleman as a Fruit Research Institute in the 1930s. Today, it has grown to become one of the premier institutes in the country. He is the one who created the famous ‘Agmark’ for fruits,” says Raj.

Javaraya was known as the fruit man of the then Mysore state. “If you see so much fruit cultivation in Bengaluru, it is because of him. He introduced a wide variety of fruits in Bengaluru. He was even the first person to cultivate apples. There was a thriving apple cultivation that took place in Bengaluru during his time and then everything died down,” says Raj, adding that Javaraya is an unsung hero. “Nobody knows about him. So, therefore, we decided to make a film in association with the family,” Raj further adds.

Raj’s last documentary was on Krumbiegel and he admits to having a soft spot for horticulturists who shaped Bengaluru. “We do different kinds of films, but these people have done a tremendous amount of work for the city. In Bengaluru, you can see a lot of trees, gardens and flowers…these stalwarts were responsible for it. Therefore, we decided to make a film that speaks about their contribution,” says Raj.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HORTICULTURE / AGRICULTURE: Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR) to hold Exclusive ‘Appe Midi’ Fair (tender mango) where 100 varieties to be on display, April 12-13

Appe midi is a traditional pickling variety of mango from Karnataka, which is grown in the Malnad region of the State-especially in Sirsi, Sagara, Siddapur, Thirthahally, Kumata, Sakleshpur, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru.

Thanks to the growing popularity of ‘appe midi ’ (tender mango in Kannada), the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR) in Hesaraghatta for the first time will conduct an exclusive ‘appe midi’ mango fair, where 100 varieties of such mangoes will be displayed.

The fair will be held on April 12 and 13 on the IIHR campus in Hessarghatta.

Creating awareness

Speaking to The Hindu, M. Sankaran, Principal scientist, division of fruit crops, ICAR-IIHR, said, “Appe midi mangoes have a unique position with respect to the diversity of pickling mango varieties. Appe midi is the king of all tender mangoes as far as its use in the pickle industry is concerned. Since there is a demand and awareness has to be created on this variety of mangoes, we thought of conducting an exclusive fair.”

The IIHR will display 100 varieties of tender mangoes at the fair, which are preserved by IIHR and also grown by farmers in various parts of the State. “The custodian farmers from across the State will participate at the fair where 100 appe midi mango genotypes will be displayed. The pickle manufacturers will also sell their products made of tender mango. Apart from this, we will also distribute limited appe midi mango saplings to farmers,” Mr. Sankaran added.

According to IIHR, the pickles prepared from appe midi mangoes make for an exquisite culinary experience. The demand for pickles varies from 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes per year, translating to ₹100 crore per year.

Unorganised market

“A good quality tender mango costs ₹2 to 3; the price for a quintal could go up to almost ₹6,000, depending on demand and availability. Since the supply of appe midi meets only one-tenth of demand in the market, they are often mixed in with ordinary tender mangoes. This is not an organised market compared to others. Appe midi products have a high potential for marketing and need attention for conservation. The mango’s unique size and taste make its pickle one of the best in the country, with its fragrance so strong that adding just a few midis to an ordinary pickle can change its taste and smell,” Mr. Sankaran explained.

A wild appe midi tree can yield several tonnes of tender mango, with features varying from tree to tree. In Karnataka, 100 farm households are engaged in making appe midi pickles producing at least 100 tones of pickle a year. ICAR-IIHR has so far surveyed, collected and conserved more than 250 accessions of appe midi mangoes. These mangoes have a huge market in Goa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, according to IIHR.

source/contents: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURE / BIO-SCIENCE: 3-day International Seminar on Bioscience Technologies inaugurated at Karekere, Hassan

The seminar is being organised by College of Agriculture at Karekere near Hassan.

A three-day international conference on “Current Technologies and Opportunities in Biological Sciences” was inaugurated at the College of Agriculture near Hassan on Monday.

Former chairman of ISRO A.S. Kiran Kumar inaugurated the event. In his address, he said the current bioscience technologies had been creating a new dimension for the good of mankind. The advances in science and technology had played an important role in facilitating daily activities of human beings.

S.V. Suresh, vice-chancellor of UAS Bengaluru, said the advances in agriculture sector helped the country to ensure food for all. Earlier the country was facing food scarcity. The improvement was because of the advances in technology, he said.

Ganeshaiah, Retired Dean of UAS Bengaluru and other scholars, researchers attended the programme. Many scientists from reputed institutes presented their research papers in the event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT: VST Tillers Tractors Ltd (VST) Crosses the Production Milestone of 500,000 Power Tillers from its plant at Malur near Bengaluru

VST has been designing and manufacturing multi-functional tillers and tractors for the domestic and international markets for the last five decades.

VST Tillers Tractors Ltd (VST), a farm equipment manufacturer, has crossed the production milestone of 500,000 power tillers from its plant at Malur, on the outskirts of the city.

Antony Cherukara, CEO, VST, said on Thursday, “This is a testimony to the customer confidence in VST power tillers and it will be a stepping stone to many more accolades for us in times to come.’‘

Currently, the power tiller industry in India is around 60,000 units and it is expected to grow to 100,000 units by the year 2025. VST is the leader in the segment and holds a market share of over 65% in the country, as per VST. “We are focusing on small farm mechanisation and have introduced a wide range of smart farm machines for small and marginal farmers,’‘ said the firm.

The company has introduced the electric start power tiller in the 16 HP and 9 HP category, a range of power weeders, which start from 3.5 hp to 8 hp, a range of brush cutters, multi-crop reaper, for the segment.

VST has been designing and manufacturing multi-functional tillers and tractors for the domestic and international markets for the last five decades. Some of its smart farm machines are used for puddling, inter-cultivation, bund formation, earthing up & de-weeding mainly for crops like Sugarcane, Paddy, Cotton, Vegetables, Horticulture, Turmeric, and Ginger.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)