Dialogue partner, Lakhisarai. The government is promoting scientific farming to make farming modern, safe and more profitable. In this sequence, Agricultural Drone Spraying Scheme has been implemented by the Agriculture Department, through which effective spraying is being ensured in less time and less cost.
Precise spraying of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides as well as liquid fertilizers is being done through drone technology. Under the Agricultural Drone Spraying Scheme, a target has been set to spray fertilizers and pesticides through drones on Rabi crops grown in 1,050 acres of agricultural land in the district this year.
The cost of spraying with drones has been fixed at Rs 419 per acre, in which farmers will get the facility of 50 percent subsidy. Thus, farmers will have to spend only Rs 209.50 per acre. A farmer can avail the benefit of this scheme maximum twice for spraying drones in a maximum of 15 acres of land.
This scheme is expected to significantly reduce the production cost of farmers. To avail the benefits of the scheme, farmers will have to apply online on the official website of the Agriculture Department. So far, 29 farmers of the district have applied for spraying drones in about 250 acres of land, out of which the number of farmers from Suryagadha and Barhiya blocks is more.
Spraying with drones works 50 to 60 times faster than traditional methods. Whereas earlier it took hours to spray crops, now with drones this work can be completed in just 15 to 20 minutes. This not only saves time but also reduces wages and other expenses.
The use of drone technology saves up to 90 percent water and about 40 percent fertilizers and pesticides. Besides, the quality of soil remains intact and the residue of chemicals in crops is also reduced. Through drones, uniform and accurate spraying of nano urea, nano DAP, NPK and other nutrients is possible, which will increase the productivity of crops.
With the use of drones, it will be possible to spray crops evenly, which will make pest control more effective and increase crop productivity. Besides, human labour, time and health risks will also be reduced. -Ankit Anand, Assistant Director, Plant Protection, Lakhisarai