Report on Seminar on “Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture”

The Department of Computer Engineering of Don Bosco College of Engineering (DBCE) organized a one day seminar on the “Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture” on 10th April 2017. Technology is fast affecting the way we grow crops which allow the farming business to be more profitable, efficient, safer and more environmental friendly. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in agriculture is an emerging field focusing on the enhancement of agricultural and rural development in India. It involves application of innovative ways to use ICT in the rural domain. With this in mind the coordinators, Asst. Prof. Maria Christina Barretto and Asst. Prof. Chinnu George invited four speakers from the field of Agriculture and Information Technology to share their views on a common platform.
The guest audience for this seminar was faculty and students from our sister Institute, Don Bosco College of Agriculture (DBCA), Sulcorna. Around 85 students along with 6 faculty members of DBCA, Sulcorna visited the institute to be a part of this program.
The first speaker for the seminar was Mr. Parag Rangnekar, Nature Enthusiast and Proprietor of Mrugaya Nature Retreat, Amboli. He is also popularly known as “Butterfly Man of Goa” for his expert work in Lepidoptera (Study of butterflies and moths). He spoke on the various categories of insects, butterflies and moths that help in pollination and are beneficial for farming as well as insects which are pests. Mr. Rangnekar also spoke at length about the need for good entomologists and taxidermists – a profession which contributes greatly to scientific fields, such as forensics, molecular science, biology, agriculture, chemistry and animal and human health. Students then participated in identifying many pictures of butterflies and insects collected by Mr. Rangnekar. He also invited students and faculty to share in his joy for nature by visiting Mrugaya Nature Resort in Amboli.

The second speaker was a local Horticulturist and Organic Farming Expert, Mrs. Terency Luis. She is a qualified Special Educator but has changed her perception towards living substantially and harmoniously with nature. She has since studied the art of organic farming and takes great pride in maintaining her own “kitchen garden” which provides basic food for her family and friends. She spoke at length about her distaste for pesticides and her method of clean farming. She shared pictures of her garden and its produce with the audience. Mrs. Luis introduced the students to a method of raised garden beds called Hugelkultur. Mrs. Luis owes her knowledge and expertise to the Internet (a form of ICT) which she claims introduced her to the idea of organic farming and has put her in contact with the farming society worldwide. She started out by trying the concept of a “Square Foot Farm” which eventually turned out to occupy her entire backyard as her passion for farming continued. She encouraged students to build the online farming concept by sharing their knowledge so that we can all contribute and benefit by living a clean and holistic lifestyle.

The third speaker was an officer from the Agriculture Department of Goa. Mr. Saieesh Gandhi started his talk by explaining the use and benefits of the Krishi Card – a digital card that will serve as a gateway for farmers to avail themselves of benefits such as subsidies, assistance and loans from the state. He went on to explain that the Krishi Card will introduce a mechanism to identify all Goan farmers and maintain a history of the land holdings, assets and subsidies availed. He explained how the introduction of this digitally coded card will spare farmers from repeatedly producing their documents and affidavits to avail themselves of subsidies. He shared a video of the same, proving the role of ICT in the development of these cards.
The forth speaker for the day was Asst. Prof. Gaurang Patkar, Head of Department, Computer Engineering. Asst. Prof. Patkar explained the meaning of ICT, and classified the traditional and modern methods of information technology that is applicable in the field of agriculture. He gave examples of various new farming techniques such as Hydroponics and Smart Gardens. He showed the students video representations of the same. His talk was followed by a live demonstration of a smart irrigation system by Mr. Raqueeb and Mr. Myron (ex- students of DBCE). The seminar ended by a group picture of the faculty and students.