KAU’s Technological Vanguard

 

Farming in Kerala is marked by extensive crop diversity and homestead farming, juxtaposed with challenges like fragmented holdings, labour shortage, and man-nature conflicts. This has led to lower productivity; for example, the rice yield in Kerala (3.06 t/ha in 2019-20) is lower compared to states like Punjab (4.03 t/ha). Addressing these issues requires multifaceted strategies with a significant emphasis on technological interventions. Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) plays a pivotal role in advancing agricultural technology in the state, covering areas like crop improvement, production, protection, and value addition. In crop improvement, KAU has released 70 high-yielding varieties of different crops in the last decade. They also focus on developing climate-resilient varieties. In crop production, they have standardized cultivation practices, promoting precision farming, and urban farming initiatives like Nutri stick for pot cultivation. In plant protection, efforts include breeding for resistance and novel pest management techniques like the KAU weed wiper. Value addition through secondary agriculture, like processing and 3D printing of foods, is being encouraged to ensure better income for farmers. Other advancements include integrated farming models, biocomposting techniques like KAU Biobin, and farm mechanization. KAU aims to integrate advancements from various tech streams like biotechnology, nanoscience, IoT, robotics, and AI to further benefit the farming community.

Crop Improvement

Crop improvement via breeding is crucial for agricultural advancement. Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has released 70 high-yielding crop varieties over the past decade, including notable varieties like Manu Rathna and Jaiva rice, Swarna and Shonima watermelons, and Sindoor jackfruit. In response to climate change challenges, KAU is working on developing high-yield, stress-tolerant varieties, with Lavanya and Jyotsna rice being examples. Enhancing these efforts necessitates the use of biotechnological tools like gene editing and recombination.

Crop Production

Ever since its inception, KAU has paid great emphasis on standardizing crop cultivation practices from seed to harvest. The results of innumerable experiments paved the way for the “Package of Practices recommendations for Crops”, considered as the bible in farm technologies by farmers and extension officials alike. Recommendations on planting time, planting methods, spacing, nutrient, and water management are developed, evaluated through a rigorous process involving on-farm trials in farmers’ fields, reviewed by experts, and finally approved by a statewide body of stakeholders. While nearly sixty new recommendations find their way into every new edition of the PoP, some of the notable recent developments include the development of customized nutrient formulations Sampoorna and Ayar. Sampoorna is a micronutrient formulation developed for application in rice, vegetables, and banana and has been very well received by farmers all over Kerala, while Ayar is a secondary and micronutrient formulation for banana. Efforts by KAU scientists at standardization of foliar application of nutrients using drone gave a new fillip to efficient delivery of nutrients using drones, particularly in the rice tracts of Kuttanad and Thrissur, covering thousands of acres. Precision farming in vegetables and standardisation of hydroponic cultivation of vegetables and its integration with components like pisciculture that KAU has developed represent new age solutions aimed at efficient and costeffective use of key resources like water and nutrients. KAU has also developed models for urban and peri-urban farming which can help small families, especially in towns and flats, to enjoy growing and consuming fresh vegetables and greens within their confines. Of particular interest is the Nutri Stick, which is a slow-release formulation in the form of a chalk that can be placed in pots.

Nutri Stick for Pot Cultivation
Plant Protection

Insects, microbes, and weed pests account for about 20 per cent of crop losses and hence always command attention and effective yet eco-friendly solutions. The decade saw a number of invasive insects like the white fly complex in coconut, fall armyworm in maize, South American pinworm, and cassava mealy bug. KAU scientists were at the forefront in reporting the rugose whitefly and cassava mealy bug for the first time in the country and in formulating adequate responses. Breeding for resistance is the most enduring strategy in pest management, and KAU was successful in developing bacterial wiltresistant tomato varieties, Manuvarna and Manulakshmi, as well as mosaic-resistant cowpea variety, Geethika. Grafting technique using resistant rootstocks has been an effective technology for the management of bacterial wilt in solanaceous crops. Quite recently, KAU has successfully automated the grafting procedure that can help more economical production of the grafted seedlings.

Grafting of Solanaceous Seedlings
KAU Weed Wiper

The KAU Weed Wiper is a patented technology that helps apply herbicide selectively on weedy rice alone in rice fields, thus helping manage them without any damage to rice and with minimal environmental contamination. KAU also successfully released Anagyrus lopezi, the natural enemy of Cassava mealy bug, with support from NBAIR Bangalore. The parasitoid has been established well and is expected to provide permanent control of the mealy bug during the ensuing summer seasons.

Value Addition

Secondary agriculture, involving processing and value addition, is vital for ensuring rural employment and better income for farmers. Kerala Agricultural University has, in the last decade, standardized technologies for nearly 45 value-added products and is offering the same for entrepreneurs at a prescribed fee.

3D Printing of Foods

The integrated farming system models based on coconut, rice, and banana, biocomposting techniques, and farm mechanization are other areas where KAU has made substantial technological progress. The KAU BioBin is a very compact biocomposting unit that is well suited for flats and small households.

KAU BioBin:

In conclusion, Kerala Agricultural University has significantly advanced farm technologies in the state, and along with other NARS institutions, aims to harness rapid transformations in fields like biotechnology, nanoscience, IoT, robotics, and AI to ensure farmers benefit from these advancements through adaptive research in the near future