12 August 2021, New Delhi: ICAR-Indian Institute of Soybean Research (ICAR-IISR) and Prestige Institute of Engineering Management and Research (PIEMR), Indore, MP, India singed an MOU to collaborate and undertake R & D, Technology Development and Extension activities to benefit the farming community, Agro & allied industries, academia and society as a whole.
ICAR-IISR, Director Dr Nita Khandekar along with a team of Scientist including Dr M.P Sharma, (Principal Scientist, Agriculture Microbilogy), Dr Mrinal Kuchlan (Senior scientist, Seed technology) Dr Shivakumar M (Plant breeding), Dr Raghavendra M (Agronomy), Dr Laxman Singh Rajput (Plant pathology) visited the PIEMR, on 5th August 2021 and discussed fields of common research interests and allied activities between the two institutions and signed an MOU to enter into long-term collaboration for undertaking of R & D, extension, consultancy and training activities to promote soybean growth and development in the country.
Dr M. Deshpande Welcomed the Director, IISR scientist and PIEMR staff and emphasized on the need of the collaborative program for reaching technologies to farmers. Dr Jolly Masih, made a brief presentation on technologies viz., crop monitoring by sensors and drone technologies, developed at PIEMR, soil mapping soil structure analysis, N- content, weed management, sensor based green house and disease monitoring system and fertilocater app developed for guiding the farmers to locate the dealers for various inputs required for farming.
Dr Davish Jain, Chairman PIEMR, expressed his pleasure over signing the MOU between two institutes towards uplifting the farmers in the region and emphasized on lab to land programme and urged for the both institutes to work on application and calibration of the technologies developed at PIEMR so as to have practical applicability at the farmers field. Dr Nita Khandekar, in her address mentioned the need for precision agriculture and machine learning modules for doubling the production. She emphasized on the need for exchange of ideas, development of collaborative research project between both institutes. After signing the MOU, the team visited the facilities of PIEMR particularly the automation and robotic department and witnessed the application of drones and sensor based green house management.
Previously, the institute has also signed memorandum of understanding for research and higher education with the Telangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad; Integral University, Lucknow; Agriculture University Jodhpur; Institute of Excellence in Higher Education, Bhopal; Kota Agriculture University, Kota; Barkatullah University, Bhopal and St Aloysius college, (autonomous) Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur in the present financial year 2021-22. These efforts will help in intensifying quality research and training manpower that are industry ready.
