Crystal Crop inks MoU with IARI for solar powered sprayer tech

Solar powered sprayer will enhance the efficiency and efficacy of pesticide sprays in fields and reduce hazards for farmers

Agro-chemical firm Crystal Crop Protection today said it has signed an agreement with IARI to manufacture and sell solar-powered sprayer developed by the government agriculture research body.

It said the company will soon start manufacturing this sprayer and selling it to farmers.

"The sprayer has been designed by IARI, which through an MoU (memorandum of understanding) has agreed to transfer of technology know-how to Crystal," Crystal said in a statement.

The solar powered sprayer would enhance the efficiency and efficacy of pesticide sprays in fields and reduce hazards for farmers, it added.

Crystal has signed another MoU with Indian Agriculture Research Institute to provide financial as well as the technical assistance to the latter for undertaking research work to develop efficient and advanced Spraying Technology.

"It has promising features of reducing drudgery to farmers along with high quality spray of chemical. Since Crystal is actively engaged in the production and marketing of various plant protection equipments, it is good that they showed interest in taking the technology know-how and also provide assistance for undertaking the research work to develop efficient advanced sprayer," IARI Joint Director (Research) Malavika Dadlani said.

The Rs 850-crore Crystal Crop Protection is engaged in the manufacturing, formulation, and marketing of agrochemical products insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators/ micro nutrients, seeds and agri equipment.

"We have agreed to undertake to develop an improved and efficient spraying technology, since it is felt that current spraying technology is required to develop further and needs to be customised as per the crop's requirement," Crystal Crop Protection Chairman N K Aggarwal said.