SAFFLOWER FIELD DAY CUM DEMONSTRATION OF DRONE SPRAYING IN ADOPTED VILLAGE MALLAPUR on 10-02-2024

A successful field day on safflower cultivation and demonstration of Drone spraying was conducted in Adopted Village Mallapur on 10th February 2024. The programme covered Pest scenario in safflower, Recent advances in Plant Protection of Oil seeds, Standard Operating protocols for spraying of Plant protection chemical using Drones, Integrated Crop management practices in safflower for achieving higher yields along with Farmers – Scientists interaction. Three institutes were involved in the programme. ICAR-IIOR who developed safflower seed ISF 764, ARS Tandur who disseminated the seed, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar who gave the technical know how about Safflower. The institutes acted in a coordinated manner to implement the technologies in 70 farmer’s fields. Drones spraying to control aphids and leaf eating caterpillars was advocated besides spraying of pesticides was taken up. The participants included Dr. T. Ramesh, Convenor Village Adoption team along with Dr. S. Upender, Department of Entomology and Dr. V. Samatha Parameshwari Agronomist from College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar. Dr. R.D. Prasad, Principal Scientist, represented ICAR-IIOR, Hyderabad. Dr. T. Rajeshwar Reddy, Scientist (Pl. Path), and Dr. C. Sudhakar, Principal Scientist (Agro), represented ARS, Tandur. The meeting dais was shared by Sri. Ravinder Reddy, Special Officer, Mallapur Gram Panchayat. DATTC representatives included Dr. Bharat Bhushan and Dr. Archana. AEO Miss. Nikitha represented the State Government. Dr Malla Reddy, ADR, RARS, Palem chaired the event. Fifty farmers participated in the field day. Marut Drones took up the spraying operation in farmer’s fields. A good interaction prevailed on the mode of giving inputs, benefits of consuming cold pressed safflower oil, need to preserve the habit of consuming safflower oil and dissemination of safflower seed to most villagers in the next season. The programme ended with a promise that sustainable practices have to be taken up for cultivation of safflower and its consumption.