
Trail drone farming to take off in Konaseema
District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar stated that drones would be deployed for paddy cultivation on the ten-acre land for sowing, crop management — including pest identification through thermal scanning, and the spraying of fertilisers and pesticides. The aim is to compare the input costs of drone-assisted farming with the traditional method.
'The drone technology will be fully recommended for adoption by the farmers if it saves input costs in farming', said Mr. Mahesh Kumar.

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The Hindu
25-06-2025
- The Hindu
Trail drone farming to take off in Konaseema
The economic viability of drone technology is set to be assessed on ten acres of land by cultivating paddy in the Kharif season in Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar stated that drones would be deployed for paddy cultivation on the ten-acre land for sowing, crop management — including pest identification through thermal scanning, and the spraying of fertilisers and pesticides. The aim is to compare the input costs of drone-assisted farming with the traditional method. 'The drone technology will be fully recommended for adoption by the farmers if it saves input costs in farming', said Mr. Mahesh Kumar.


Hans India
13-06-2025
- Hans India
Providing scientific solutions to farmers' challenges
Tadepalligudem (West Godavari District): The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) which is scheduled from May 29 to June 15 is being conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Venkataramannagudem, under Dr YSR Horticultural University. It was a flagship outreach initiative by the Government of India aimed at empowering farmers ahead of the Kharif season. VKSA was spanned 45 villages in 25 mandals of East Godavari, West Godavari, and Eluru districts, reaching out to 16,262 farmers. Dr P Vijaya Lakshmi, Principal Scientist at KVK, VR Gudem, served as the nodal officer, with a team of scientists including Dr Pedababu, Dr Rekha, Dr Prasad Reddy, and Dr Deepthi. Scientists from Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR), Pedavegi, Dr Ramachandrudu, Dr Mary Rani, and Dr Premalatha also participated. The key focus of VKSA is on enhancing farmer incomes through scientific agricultural practices. During interactive sessions, the scientists stressed the importance of choosing climate-resilient and high-yielding varieties such as Bhima MTU-1140 and MTU-1232 as alternatives to the commonly grown Swarna variety. They also advocated for organic cultivation methods, soil testing, soil fertility enhancement techniques, and the adoption of oil palm as a major source of revenue. Special focus was laid on horticultural crops like coconut, cocoa, oil palm, banana, mango, cashew, and vegetables, all of which are increasingly affected by climate change, nutritional deficiencies, and pest attacks such as spiralling whiteflies. The initiative was carried out in close coordination with officials from the departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries, with support from local political leaders and active participation from the farming community. Dr Vijaya Lakshmi expressed satisfaction over the successful execution of the programme and the overwhelming response from farmers. 'We are glad to have directly reached thousands of farmers and provided scientific solutions to their field-level challenges,' she said.

The Hindu
30-05-2025
- The Hindu
Campaign aiming for planning for Kharif season 2025 begins
A State-level campaign aimed at facilitating preparatory agricultural planning for the Kharif season 2025 was conducted at Kanakkampalayam village in Gobichettipalayam block on Thursday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have jointly proposed to organise the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' (VKSP) from May 29 to June 12. The State-level launch event was organised by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), MYRADA Erode, in the village. R. Thamizh Vendan, Vice-Chancellor in-charge, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, inaugurated the programme in the presence of A. Velmurugan, Assistant Director General, ICAR–NRM, New Delhi, P. Govindaraj, Director, ICAR–Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, M. Kailasam, Principal Scientist, ICAR–Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, Ravindra Naik, Head, Regional Station, Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Coimbatore, P.P. Murugan, Director of Extension Education, TNAU, Coimbatore, and R. Yasothai, Professor and Head, Veterinary University Training and Research Centre, Erode. Delegates visited 14 stalls set up by KVK for the benefit of the farming community. With support from IFFCO, a drone demonstration was conducted to showcase its technological benefits for farmers. During the programme, 17 Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials were released, and agricultural inputs were distributed to farmers. The objectives and benefits of various Central and State government schemes were explained to the participating farmers. A total of 542 farmers and entrepreneurs took part in the event.