Dilip Kumar Kushwaha, 42, a young scientist working at the country’s premier Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) or Pusa, has developed a robotic spraying machine exclusively for crops grown inside a greenhouse. The invention is aimed at protecting farm workers from the harmful effects of insecticides.
Kushwaha, under the guidance of Adarsh Kumar (principal scientist at IARI) and with the help of a PhD student Mude Arjun Naik, took two years to develop the machine and IARI filed a patent a week back.
Explaining the technology at the recent exhibition of technology during ICAR Foundation Day, where the machine was on display, he said about ₹1 lakh has been spent to develop it and some companies have shown interest in the technology.
There is a 40-litre jar in the machine where the agrochemicals and water can be stored and the sprays will be regulated based on the plant heights as sensors have been fitted vertically at certain gaps in the machine which will automatically regulate the nozzle of the spray. An operator sitting outside the greenhouse can operate the moment of the machine through a remote control, fitted with a screen, Kushwaha said.
The technology named a “telerobotic target-specific selective pesticide applicator for greenhouse and open-field” is a battery-operated machine that can cover one-acre area in about 2 hours and once it is charged, it can operate for 2 hours on a standard battery, though it can be enhanced. “The robot has 57 per cent cost savings in pesticide application compared to the traditional battery-powered knapsack sprayer,” Kushwaha said.
“As the chemicals sprayed inside a greenhouse have also many harmful effects since it cannot evaporate into the air, the person whether farmer himself or a labour will have to inhale those toxic materials/residues. So, this kind of innovation is a boon for labourers and with some tweaks in government policy, like making its use mandatory, and skilling the labour to operate the remote will go a long way,” said A K Singh, an expert on soil science.
