KOTTAYAM: Methran Kayal, the polders in Kerala’s Kumarakom that was at the centre of a controversy a couple of years ago over an alleged move to fill it up for a tourism project, is back in news, but for a good reason this time. It has now become an open lab for a new technology in the field — unmanned ariel vehicles or drones being used spraying foliar fertilisers.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative of the state government, the Kerala Centre of Pest Management (KCPM) in Mankombu, Alappuzha district, in association with two private drone developers in Bengaluru, started the pilot project earlier this week. The agriculture officers were satisfied with the results.
“The paddy in Methran Kayal polders are facing serious threat owing to high acidity level and subsequent increase of iron content in the soil. Hence, the nutrients are being supplied through foliar spraying,” said Mathew Abraham, KCPM officer, adding. “Since the size of the droplets is less than 100 micron, drones need only 10 litres water for covering one acre, whereas 100 litres are needed to do it manually.”