Workshop on “Integration of Stakeholders for Promoting Climate-Smart Technologies through Digital Agriculture” on 23rd December
The ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack & M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai jointly organised one day workshop for promoting Climate-Smart Technologies through Digital Agriculture on 23rd December, 2019 at ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack.
Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director, ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack graced the occasion as the chief guest of the workshop. He emphasized on the use of digital tools like mobile app, decision support system in farming to build resilience against the ill effects of climate change. He wished the farmers to make the best use of the different applications of mobile apps such as riceXpert and RiceNxpert developed by ICAR-NRRI. He was impressed with the ongoing Plant clinics activities of MSSRF which is helping the farmers to use appropriate site specific and location specific control measures against particular insect pest and diseases.
Dr. A. K. Nayak, PI of RESILIENCE project (a multi-institutional Norway funded project) and Head, Crop Production Division, ICAR-NRRI explained about the objectives of the aforesaid project which stands as to improve agricultural productivity, adaptive capacity and livelihoods of smallholders to combat the climate change scenario in farming. He also highlighted the interventions made in the Resilience Project and the role of digital agriculture to build the capacity of the farmers emphasizing on the use and benefits of the RiceXpert and RiceNxpert apps.
Dr. R.Rengalakshmi, Director, Eco technology, MSSRF explained the ICT based intervention of MSSRF and the joint initiative of CABI and MSSRF’s Plant clinic programme. She explained the usefulness of Plant clinics to the farmers that helps in receiving timely advisories for the crop specific problems.
Dr. R. Rajkumar, Senior Scientist, MSSRF demonstrated the ICT interventions through Village Knowledge Centres.
Dr. Rahul Tripathi, Senior Scientist, ICAR-NRRI briefly presented the usefulness of the digital initiatives in agriculture such as Rice Crop Manager, riceXpert, RiceNXpert to provide timely solutions to nutrient and insect pest disease problems.
As a part of the workshop, a panel discussion was organised showcasing the problems of the farmers and providing them solutions on different management practices in farming. The panellists included Dr. A. K. Nayak, Dr. Sanjay Saha, Dr. S. D. Mohapatra, Dr. R. Rajkumar and Dr. Dilip Sarangi. The farmers explained various problems such as false smut in rice, aquatic weeds in wet Direct seeded rice, insect caterpillar in green gram etc.
Er. Supriya Priyadarsani proposed the formal vote of thanks and wished the farmers to make best use of digital initiatives in agriculture.
About 40 farmers representing four project villages participated in the workshop.
Dr. Md. Shahid, Dr. B. B. Panda and project staffs of the institute and Mr. T. Omkar and Rabindra Behera from MSSRF, SRFs from OUAT, and officials of Agricultural department also participated in the workshop.
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| Inaugural session of the workshop | Panel discussion in which queries of farmers were addressed by Scientists |
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| Group photo of Workshop participants with Director, ICAR-NRRI |