TIRUCHY: AI is for now and innovations through it can help Banana to a great extent from protecting them from pests to marketing them globally said scientists of ICAR-NRCB (National Research Centre for Banana) on the 30th foundation day and Kisan mela program organized on Monday in its campus.
Dr. R Selvarajan, Director of NRCB, highlighted in his presidential address that ICAR NRCB conducts global research on bananas and maintains Asia’s largest gene bank for the fruit. Over the past year, ICAR NRCB has developed 60 technologies, introduced 6 new banana varieties, published over 1000 research articles, and exported bananas to various countries, including Italy and Europe.
He also said, NRCB recently acquired two patents for AI-based disease detection and suspension of Basel seeds. The institution has also been working on gene editing to combat fusarium wilt, a viral disease affecting bananas.
The Chief Guest Dr. V. Palanimuthu, Director of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Management (NIFTEM-T), Thanjavur emphasized the importance of Central and State government policies in post-harvest technology and value addition to increase the farmers' income.
V Venkatasubramanian, Director of ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Bengaluru, shared insights into banana research and promotion technologies, emphasizing the importance of quantity, quality, continuity, and cost-effectiveness in agricultural production.
Dr. K Alagusundaram, MD & CEO of the Tamil Nadu Food Processing & Agri Export Promotion Corporation, explained that although Artificial Intelligence and IoT-based technologies have been developed in agriculture, many farmers are hesitant to adopt them due to cost concerns, especially for small and marginal farmers. He proposed establishing more custom hiring centers to facilitate the adoption of these technologies. He also mentioned how AI-based technologies like the "Falcon Drone" are used in the United States to deter birds and reduce the need for pesticides.
To recognize the achievements of various stakeholders, 14 different awards were presented, including Best Banana Farmers, Best Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Best Technology Dissemination, Best Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Best Entrepreneurs, and Best Technical Staff. The event attracted around 1000 participants from all corners of the state.