By Vivek Tripathi
Lucknow, Sep 4 (IANS): Drones are being used to sprinkle fertilisers which not only protect crop health but also increase production.
In mere seven minutes, drone can sprinkle fertiliser in one acre of land. The drone technology will not only save time but also protect person sprinkling fertilisers manually from harmful chemicals.
Nowadays, nano urea is also available. Traditionally, when fertisliser is sprinkled manually, it reaches only 15 to 40 per cent of crops. But the fertiliser, which is sprinkled along with water, reaches 90 per cent of crops, leading to good produce. It is also cheaper compared to traditional manure.
Due to the efforts of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Central government is providing 32 drones to the state.
Of the 32 drones, four will be provided to Ariculture Universities, 10 to agriculture research Centre and 18 to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institute. For purchasing these drones, the Central government has released Rs 5 crore 60 lakh. With these drones, demonstarion will be done for 8,000 ha of land.
For agricultural purpose, agriculture graduate will be given 50 per cent grant, Farmer Producers Organisation and co-operative societies 40 per cent grant. In this way, agriculture graduates will have to pay only Rs 5 lakh instead of Rs 10 lakh.
Recently, in the presence of Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, fertiliser was sprinkled by drones in a demonstration in front of a gathering of farmers in Rahimabad.
To make the farmers aware about its benefits, such demonstrations will be carried out across the state, Shahi added.
According to D.K. Singh, chief regional manager, IFFCO, through drones, fertiliser can be sprinkled on crops like sugarcane and arhar whose size pose a problem in the process if done manually.
Nano urea is sprinkled 30-40 days after sowingthe crop. Sprinkling of fertiliser from drone is just like mist. As it is sprinkled on standing crop, it doe not reach land due to which it does not have any bad effect on water and land.
Along with nano urea, there are other souluble fertilisers which can be mixed as per requirement of the crop. The ratio is nitrogen, phosphorus, potash 18:18:18, 0:52:34, 0:0:50 respectively.