Union Minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan being felicitated as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis looks on during the 'Kisan Sammelan' organised under the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, in Nagpur
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: In a significant development in India’s agriculture sector, a National Soil Spectral Library (NSSL) was launched in Nagpur making Maharashtra the first state to have a soil map.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the facility in Nagpur, often referred to as the geographical centre of India.
The NSSL includes data on soil pH Value, density, and elemental composition collected using hyperspectral sensor technology by the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS & LUP).
Chauhan informed that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has 113 institutes across the country, 11 of which are in Maharashtra. He announced that a meeting with heads of all ICAR institutes would be held at the NBSS & LUP in Nagpur to chart the course for agricultural development in Maharashtra.
“The government is committed to bridging the gap between laboratories and farmlands. With 16,000 agricultural scientists under ICAR, scientists will visit villages as a team along with agricultural extension officers to educate farmers about new seed varieties and innovative farming practices,” he said.
Chauhan, a former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, further stated that during the 15-day campaign from May 29 to June 12, agricultural scientists will visit villages to guide farmers on sustainable farming practices and plan for the Kharif season.
Making another big announcement, Chauhan said that we are going to set up a national- level lab in Pune under the Clean Plant Program.
“This laboratory will be set up in Pune for research on the original species of plants,” he said while interacting with the farmers of Vidarbha in the Krishi Samvad program organised under the Vikasit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan in Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Auditorium in Nagpur.
Emphasisng on increasing agricultural production, Shivraj Singh said that the Clean Plant Program is being run to ensure pure and disease-free nurseries. To increase production, farmers should understand the need for good quality seeds, soil testing, and reduction in production costs.
Chavan and Fadnavis also reviewed the progress of key Rural Development schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (JANMAN), Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).
Additionally, Chauhan launched an AI-based Smart Trap technology for managing the pink bollworm pest affecting cotton crops. “This technology will alert farmers about pest infestations in their crops,” he said.