To accelerate agri-drone adoption, govt approves 477 pesticides for drone
The Union Agriculture Ministry and the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) have granted the interim approval for 477 registered pesticides, including insecticides, fungicides, and plant growth regulators (PGRs), for commercial use through drones for two years, said the Drone Federation of India (DFI). This will fast-track the Agri-Drone adoption process.
The DFI’s statement said, “Pesticide companies already registered with CIB&RC who wish to use registered chemical pesticides using drones can intimate the board’s secretariat with pesticide dosage, crop details, data generation action plan, and other pre-requisite information. In case pesticide companies would like to continue using drones for spraying pesticides after two years, they will be required to generate essential data during the interim period and get it validated from CIB&RC.”
DFI president Smit Shah said, “Drone operators will have to adhere to the agriculture ministry’s SOP for using drones to spray pesticides and nutrients.”
He added, “Drones are taking over agricultural farms with advanced applications such as spraying chemical pesticides and nutrients, surveying farmlands, and monitoring soil and crop health. The use of drones for agriculture spraying reduces the contact of humans with fertilizers, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. After the liberalization of the drone policy and providing government subsidy for the purchase of drones for agricultural activities, the decision to give interim approval to the knapsack registered pesticides shall boost the utilization of Kisan Drones. This initiative is a step towards reaching the vision of ‘one village one drone’ in the next three years.”
[With Inputs from IANS]
PGurus is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with all the latest news and views
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
- Myanmar authorities seize 100 Kg methamphetamine, 13 kg of ketamine in southern region - April 28, 2024
- Centre permits export of 99,150 tonnes of onion to 6 countries - April 28, 2024
- Delhi Congress chief resigns, cites party’s alliance with AAP - April 28, 2024
