MARGAO: The lush green fields between Cortalim and Curtorim are bracing up for a revolution.
From December 7 to 10, demonstrations of new agricultural technology will be held in the fields at Cansaulim, Curtorim, Cortalim and Loutolim.
Not long ago, a video of Japanese mechanical transplantation had gone viral, and there were calls and theories about how this would work in Goa and how this would change the face of the rice harvesting industry. That same technology has been introduced in Goa by Don Bosco Society (DBS), Loutolim, with help from the Directorate of Agriculture.
“This will be a new way of thinking about how Goans will handle agriculture,” said Fr George Quadros, project director.
The Zonal Agricultural Office (ZAO) and Agricultural Technology Management Agency, Margao, have also collaborated with DBS to create a website wwww.goapaddy.com, which will be launched at the Cortalim demonstration in the fields along the highway at 9 am.
Before that, there will be a demonstration of an automated rice transplanter on December 7 at 11 am in the fields of Chiquinho Fernandes in Prial Vaddo, Cansaulim.
“The Kubota rice transplanter is Japanese technology that will be introduced to Goa for the first time. It has the potential to forever change the agricultural landscape of Goa by reducing, time money and manpower,” said Fernandes.
Fernandes has invited interested farmers for the demonstration as it will give a boost for rice cultivation in Goa.
“The estimated time to transplant 1 hectare of land is 1 hour, which is cost and time efficient. We are only trying to promote agriculture. What took us two days will now take us three hours. It will be a boon for Goa,” said farmer Hansel Vaz.
For large fields, shortage of labour for manual rice planting can cause problems. The rice planter not only solves the issue of labour shortage, but also plants seedlings at regular intervals.
The ‘Rotary Transplanting Arm’ operates with the agility and delicacy of a human hand and the comphrehensive Kubota design ensures that the seedlings are securely and accurately planted so as to make maximum use of the growing area. In the event that the plough tilts due to undulating operation conditions, the horizontal control mechanism automatically acts to keep the transplanting unit in a horizontal position.
Furthmore, factors such as seedling quantity, hill space, number of hills and planting depth are adjustable to fit cultivation and field conditions. Independently, each of the four wheels smoothly absorbs shocks while negotiating rough terrain so that vibrations conveyed to the body as well as to the transplanting unit remain minimal. In addition, outstanding stability is maintained so that forward movement remains exceptionally straight, while transplanting continues with noteworthy precision.
Besides the transplanter, the paddy seeding is done with a seeder machine for even spread and fast germination. This machine transplants seedlings that have already been grown in trays without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. This can be seen at the well-cared-for nursery at the Don Bosco farm. The machine can prepare 700 trays per hour, which can cover 11 hectares of land.
Hansel also pointed out how this addressed the need to grow rice. He stated “The spacing of the seedlings in the soil can also be adjusted. This is crucial because it allows wind to pass through and also allows SRI adjustment. Equal spacing means each seedling gets better nutrition.”
Farmers pointed out that this will help take care of issues of traditional methods, like uneven space, stopping due to the wind, difficultty walking through the field. He stated that with the new technology, they can have even-space transplanting, even-space lead to a yield, passage for wind. Moreover, its easier to manage and less manual work is involved.
