The VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL) is training its students as part of a hands-on training programme for final-year pupils, and farmers to spray bio-pesticides in farmlands using drones.
According to a press release, the training programme aims to create awareness about the application of drones in organic paddy cultivation among farmers of Vellore.
A section of farmers in Vellore and final year students of the B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture course of VAIAL participated in the field demonstration, conducted in association with Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace Private Limited, on using drones for spraying of bio-pesticides, such as neem-seed kernel extract, for controlling sucking pests (stem borer, gall midge and earhead bug) and storage pests (grain moth, rice weevil and grain borer) in paddy, the release added.
Drones are now becoming a potential tool in providing real-time and high-resolution aerial imageries of agricultural fields with minimal influence on the growing crop. These systems can be used throughout the crop growing season to identify problems in the field precisely and make management decisions.
On the occasion, S. Babu, Dean, VAIAL, explained the application of drones in organic farming, whereas R. Thirumalaikumar, Assistant Professor (Agronomy), VAIAL, spoke about the organic practices in paddy cultivation. Technical booklets published by VAIAL were distributed to farmers during the training programme, the release added.
