Krishi Mela to kick off at GKVK on November 12

The three-day Krishi Mela is set to take off on Wednesday with officials also hosting all events online to reach the maximum audience in view of Covid-19.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the vice-chancellor of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, S Rajendra Prasad, said necessary precautions will be taken while organising the event in view of Covid-19.

The meal with 25 stalls will feature three new types of seeds catering to fodder cultivation. In addition, 17 new technologies based on breakthrough research will be exhibited at the event at the Gandhi Krishi Vijnana Kendra here.

The public can ‘visit’ the fair through the channels provided on the website of the varsity as well as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Zoom, Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp, a release from the university said.

Of the 17 new technology eight focus on yield, seven on protection of crops. This includes drip irrigation technology in aerobic rice which can save 45 to 55% of water and reduce methane emission by 20 kg per hectare.

Eco-friendly methods of pest control to protect cowpea, technology to manage rodents in groundnut cultivation areas, fungicidal seed treatment in finger millet are some of the major crop protection techniques that will be exhibited at the fair. Under the category of agriculture engineering, the event will showcase a multipurpose mobile solar tunnel dryer, which has the potential to become a game-changer for sericulturists.

The event will also recognise six persons, including farmers, who have worked in the field of agriculture. C M Naveen Kumar, of Chikkabommanahalli (Hassan), C Byregowda, of Madanahalli, Kolar, M H Marigowda, from Hoskote, H K Suresh, from Shidlaghatta, R Dwarakanath, from Krishnapura (Kolar), and K Shivaramu, a faculty member at GKVK, will be awarded for their contribution.