Berhampur: In a significant step towards climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable farming, the adoption of the solar-based technology in agriculture in Ganjam district is gaining popularity among farmers. The initiatives have helped them reduce dependency on conventional energy sources and is cost effective, farmers said.Subash Chandra Pradhan and Rabi Swain who grow various vegetables on their five acres of land in Hinjili block’s Nandika village have used the solar operated light insect traps, sprayers and wild animal repellent machines, etc, to save their crops from pest attack and wild animals since two years.Like them, several other farmers in the district have adopted the renewable energy farming system. Some farmers have also used the solar-based irrigation pumps to irrigate various crops, including paddy and vegetables. “We have introduced the solar-operated tools like sprayers, traps, etc, following the intervention of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Berhampur, said Pradhan. The scientists of KVK had demonstrated the tools, which worked effectively in eco-friendly manner without excessive use of chemical pesticides, he said. Senior scientist and in-charge of the KVK Berhampur Sujit Kumar Nath said they have introduced solar-power technology in farming under the ongoing project “Resilient and Inclusive Initiatives for Sustainability and Empowerment (RIISE). The three-year project of the World Food Programme (WFP)-OUAT, was started in 2023-24. The project is being implemented in 29 villages in the four blocks of Chikiti, Digapahandi, Hinjili and Jagannath Prasad.The solar-energy tools that were introduced two years ago under the project is now gaining popularity among farmers, as several of them adopt eco-friendly measures in farming. Among the major innovations introduced are various types of solar-operated light insect traps, which help farmers manage pests in an eco-friendly way. These traps operate on solar energy to attract and control harmful insects during night time, proving highly effective for vegetable and field crops.The solar-powered wild animal repellent machines and solar fencing also introduced in several villages which help the farmers to protect their crops from damage caused by wild animals like wild boars, monkeys, and stray cattle. With climate change posing increasing challenges to agriculture, renewable energy solutions like the adoption of renewable energy have been emerging as practical tools for ensuring resilience and long-term sustainability, he said, adding that their vision was to make farming more climate-resilient, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Solar energy is one of the major sources of the transformation, he added.
