Robots, drones and sprayers available for farmers ready to switch to modern technology

Mechanisation has become a reliable alternative when acute labour shortage is plaguing the farm sector.

Looking beyond the era of tractors, tillers and harvesters, the next-generation devices such as robots, drones and farm sprayers are now available to farmers who are ready to adopt modern technology.

During the recent Republic Day parade in Tirupati, the Agriculture department’s tableau displayed a robotic sprayer that diffuses pesticides. Apart from making easy the process of administering pesticides in the field, the robot also helps humans avoid direct exposure to the pesticide — chemical or otherwise. Named as ‘Farm Robo’, the mobile sprayer can easily move through the mango, plantain, lime, pomegranate and oil palm trees in an orchard.

Also, it can move under creepers and through gardens growing vegetables, and in the midst of agricultural crops planted in a straight line such as sugarcane, cotton, pulses, tobacco and castor, without causing any damage. By automating the process of fixing the dosage as per the prescribed levels, a vast stretch of spraying in a garden can be covered in a short time.

“We can save a lot of time and human effort with this robot, if farmers shed their inhibitions and come forward to use the technology”, says an ICAR award winning farmer of Tirupati district, G. Venkatarama Raju. Interestingly, it was Mr. Raju, a war veteran-turned-progressive farmer, who drew most attention with the display of the farm robot at the R-Day parade.

Planning to create awareness among the local ryots in natural farming, he has also opened an office in Railway Kodur town, created the necessary training infrastructure, kept drones, farm robots, mini tractors etc., on display. Apart from training and farm equipment, Mr. Venkatarama Raju also offers seeds/seedlings, ‘Jeevamrutam’ and ‘Panchagavya’ products to those interested in natural farming and even offers buyback facility to infuse confidence.

Mr. Raju urged District Collector S. Venkateswar to get Tirupati district included in the Government of India’s FARM (Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management) project, which targets the transition of one million farmers towards safer, resilient and sustainable agriculture.

“Railway Kodur, by virtue of its location under Seshachalam hills, the presence of a number of streams, rich soil and the centuries-old exposure of farmers to horticultural crops, is most suited for this project,” he opines.