Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Ernakulam, of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Friday will demonstrate the operation of power weeder in a three-acre paddy field at Oonjappara, Kothamangalam, as part of their Farmers’ Field School (FFS) programme on paddy mechanisation.
Kothamangalam block panchayat president K I Jacob would inaugurate the demonstration in the presence of Keerampara grama panchayat president Lissy Valsan.
Subject matter expert Pushparaj Anjelo and programme coordinator Shinoj Subramannian will participate.The FFS is a programme initiated by the KVK wherein farmers are educated on recent technology updates through live demonstrations in selected farmers’ fields in an area.
This programme starts when the farmer initiates land preparation and live demonstrations on related recent technologies are conducted till the harvesting on different occasions depending on the crop growth stage.The first session in this FFS programme was training in laying of mat nursery for mechanised paddy seedling transplantation. The second session was on mechanised land preparation using tractor-operated puddler. The third demonstration session was on mechanised transplantation.KVK envisages to conduct one more session on mechanised harvesting using combine harvester.