SOA-HSPL join hands to offer farming solutions

Bhubaneswar: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) will take up joint programmes with Bengaluru-based Hydenmet Solutions Private Limited (HSPL) to generate knowledge in agriculture and enable farmers to get affordable access to cutting edge precision farming solutions.

A Memorandun of Understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed on Tuesday between SOA and HSPL.

The major aim of the collaboration is to generate knowledge in effective monitoring of various crops from seeding to harvest, compare the real-time condition of crops with documented intelligence to derive the most accurate advisory for managing water srtess, nutrition stress, pests, diseases, insect and fungus attacks and ensure maximum yield of good quality produce.

To achieve this objective, several research project proposals along with outreach activities including seminars and workshops would be conducted with clear goals, approaches, deliverables, timelines and financial inputs to be jointly worked out between the two parties.

The MoU was signed by SOA Vice Chancellor Pradipta Kumar Nanda and HSPL Chief Executive Officer Bhaskaran Rangarajan. As per the MoU, HSPL will install one automatic weather station and any other crop or soil Internet of Things (IoT) sensor as required in SOA’s farm and roll out Hydenment Solution’s Smart Technology-Based Agriculture Enabler (STAGE) platform to monitor the same.

It will also provide the necessary technical manpower and facilities at its manufacturing plants for conducting trials relevant to the identified projects. Besides, experts from Hydenment Solutions will facilitate visits of faculty and students of SOA to its manufacturing plants in connection with the identified projects and participate in the training of students.

Both the parties will also work for the improvement of the farming community of the State in association with the Farmer Producers’ Organisation (FPO).