Latest news with #97thFoundationDay
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
Recognition for CMFRI
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute's (CMFRI) seed production technology for giant trevally (Vatta) has been selected among the country's top five innovations in fisheries by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), according to the Institute. The technology was officially released by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the 97th Foundation Day celebrations of ICAR in New Delhi, said a communication issued here. CMFRI director Grinson George hoped that the technology would significantly boost the production of the commercially important fish.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Coimbatore ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute scientists awarded National Agriculture Science Award
Scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) K. Hari, D. Puthira Prathap, P. Murali, A. Rameshsundar and B. Singaravelu were awarded the first Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Puraskar in the category 'Innovation & Technology in Agriculture & Allied Sciences.' The scientists won for their invention of the Soil Moisture Indicator, a device designed for farmers to measure soil moisture in an effort to conserve water. The national award, presented by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan during the 97th Foundation Day of ICAR, recognises technological innovation and impact in the field of agricultural science. The SMI was developed under the Farmers' Participatory Action Research Project, which is funded by the Ministry of Jal Shakthi and overseen by the Central Water Commission, according to Dr. Puthira Prathap. Research trials have shown that this device could assist in saving around 15% of irrigation water. Lead scientist Dr. Hari stated that the sugarcane harvest increased from 55.8 tonnes to 60.4 tonnes per acre per year with the help of SMI. The SMI has been shown to be effective in cultivating other crops, including tomatoes, brinjal, groundnuts, bananas, chilis and more. Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Maharashtra are among States who will be implementing the device into their water conservation projects going forward. The SMI works through soil electrical conductivity, which is an indicator of moisture levels, and was tested widely. In a recent Mission for Developed Agriculture, some Tamil Nadu farmers were given demonstrations of the SMI, which is now included in the National Occupational Standard of a Sugarcane Cultivator. Director of the Sugarcane Breeding Institute P. Govindaraj highlighted how essential inventions like SMI help in improving the efficiency and sustainability of agriculture. A patent has been filed for the SMI and 22 companies have been licensed to manufacture four variations of the design, including the first design to be registered by ICAR. An Android-compatible version of the SMI, the Digital Soil Moisture Sensor, was also developed recently.
