Two-day Krishi mela from November 10

The ICAR- CPCRI Research Centre will organise a two-day ‘Krishi Mela,’ on its premises at Kidu on November 10 and 11.

Addressing mediapersons at Patrika Bhavan here, on Saturday, CPCRI, Kasargod Director Dr P Chowdappa said that sessions on biodiversity conservation, crops diversity fair, value addition and entrepreneurship development in plantation crops will be held on November 10.

On November 11, sessions on soil and water conservation technologies in plantation crops, crop protection, production technologies of plantation crops, improved varieties and planting material production in plantation crops will be held.

The agriculture exhibition will also provide a platform for growers, wholesalers and all the stakeholders of agriculture, horticulture, dairying and animal husbandry, farm machinery and equipment and allied sectors who want to expand and diversify their business activities.

It will also includes exhibition on machinery and equipment, crop protection, fertilisers and pesticides, urban farming/hydroponics, seeds/seedlings, government schemes and programmes for farmers welfare, poultry farming, aquaponics, farm equipment, nets and cages, and others. The expo will also focus on cocoa cultivation as an intercrop along with the coconuts and arecanuts.

Chowdappa said the CPCRI will demonstrate on the tractor-mounted sprayer developed in collaboration with ASPEE. It can spray copper sulphate solution up to a height of 100 ft. When there are intercrops with arecanut, driving a tractor-mounted sprayer in the plantations will be difficult. Considering this, the CPCRI has come out with a drone model for spraying. The demonstration of the drone will also be held on the occasion. He, further, said the Coconut Development Board had funded the CPCRI to improve the drone.

The drone will be used not only for spraying the copper sulphate solution to the arecanut plantations but also in coconut groves and will be helpful in identifying the pest and diseases in the coconut and arecanut plants, Chowdappa said.

The CPCRI in association with the Campco and University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga will impart five-day training for the selected youth in climbing arecanut trees, at CPRCI in Vittal on December 5.

They will also be trained in identifying pests and spraying specific insecticides to check the disease in arecanut palms.