One day educational visit to Krishi Mela (Kharif) at CCS Haryana Agricultural University was organized by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (FASC), on 18th March 2024 for the students of M.Sc. Agriculture 1st Year. The theme of the mela for this year was ‘Importance of Drones in Farming’.

The objectives of an educational visit to Krishi Mela were –

• To upgrade the knowledge of students regarding new and improved varieties of crops and different types of mushrooms.
• To give an insight to students regarding latest innovative ideas, new technologies and best practices available in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
• To provide them with a single platform for interaction with agricultural scientists, employs of state agriculture departments, executives of various private seed and pesticide companies, KVK experts, progressive farmers from different regions of the country.

The faculty coordinators Dr. Amit Kumar, Dr. Preeti Singh and Dr. Rajesh Mor accompanied the students of M.Sc Agriculture 1st Year. The students had a very enriched experience as they were exposed to new and improved varieties of crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and also different types of mushrooms. They also learned about the equipment, machines, their prices, and working systems suitable for various agricultural works. Students were exposed to various types of biofertilizers and organic manures which can be used along with chemical fertilizers and thus, can reduce greater dependency on chemical fertilizers. At the same time, organic manures play an important role in improving soil quality and ultimately enhancing crop productivity. The students also learned that the use of drones in agriculture is the need of the hour and drones can be easily used to apply chemical fertilizers and pesticides in less time, which will save resources and will also reduce the cost. Students interacted with executives of various private seed and pesticide companies which further enhanced their knowledge about this field. Students were given a complete tour of the university and the experimental farms which made them more aware of the research work going on currently in various fields of agriculture.