Mangaluru: India is breaking out of its mold of being an agrarian society. Meanwhile, new challenges that farming is being posed to, is making it imperative for the Indian farmers to embrace modern techniques of farming. Keeping the challenges of the farming community in mind, students of Vikas PU College have designed a drone, which can perform the process of sowing seeds in farmland.
The demonstration of the same was held on June 4, as part of World Environment Day. Former MLA of Chikkamagalur C T Ravi formally launched the drone in presence of former minister Krishna J Palemar, who is also the Chairman of Vikas Education Trust. The drone has been developed by the students in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

The drone equipped with 3D Arial survey technology is navigated to the farmland with the remote control. The drone can fly about one to two mts above the land and can be used to sow seeds of various varieties.

Krishi Vigyan Kendra Director Prof Shivakumar said that though the technology is widely used in foreign countries, even experimentation on this line is being done for the first time at Vikas PU College in India.

He said that seeds encapsulated with manure can be filled into the drone and even these capsules can be sowed using the drones.

He said that the drone, which is now working using battery will be improvised in future and attempts are being made to make the drone solar-powered.