National, August 08, 2022: The KJ Somaiya Institute of Applied Agricultural Research (KIAAR) introduced a new administrative building on 5th August 2022. The state-of-the-art administrative building was inaugurated by Shri. Siddu Savadi, MLA, Karnataka and Dr. Larry Walker, Michigan State University & adjunct faculty of Somaiya Vidyavihar University.

The inauguration was also graced by the presence of Dr. R Basavarajappa, Vice Chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and Dr. KM Indiresh, Vice Chancellor, University of Horticulture Sciences, Bagalkot.

Inaugurating the new administrative building, Shri. Siddu Savadi, MLA, Karnataka said, “KIAAR has become a ray of hope for the farmers, because of their constant effort for the development of agriculture. I am hopeful, and almost certain, that in the future, KIAAR will lead the way for more research in agriculture to happen. Also, I feel that through research, the application of modern technologies towards greater farm productivity and an increase in the overall farmers income would be possible.”

Speaking about the importance of farmers, Dr. Larry Walker, Michigan State University, said, “To be among farmers, right now, is truly an honour for me. There is so much that we ask of our farmers; not only do we expect them to provide us with food and energy, but also to be the caretakers of our land. A huge responsibility lies with them. Therefore, it is our responsibility now to work with the farmers in a collaborative way and also to address many of the growing challenges that we are facing, primarily due to sustainability issues.”

Elaborating on the new building, Mr. Samir Somaiya, Chairman and Managing Director, Godavari Biorefineries, added, “While this is the time for modernization, sticking true to your roots is also equally important. The new administrative building embodies that fact and is the perfect balance of new technology and old-world aesthetics. Functionality wise, we are looking at doing a lot of research here, such as looking at the possibility of incorporating intercropping and drip irrigation options with sugarcanes, in every farm. This will help to reduce our environmental footprint significantly.

KIAAR is a 'Lab to Land' programme which helps farmers in enhancing their productivity and produce, particularly sugarcane. Established in 1971, the centre provides customised technical advisory services and quality inputs to farmers, equipping them to improve their yield whilst being mindful of the environment. Our research work involves the characterisation and evaluation of liquid manure formulations to understand their impact on regenerative crop production. KIAAR has made impact in sustainable sugar production, organic farming, smart agriculture, molecular breeding, and energy cane. KIAAR team closely associates with Information Technology, GIS & Remote Sensing and Cane department of Godavari Biorefineries Pvt ltd, Sameerwadi. The GBL team mainly focuses on collating farmers' communities soil and crop data and employing this big data to analyse and estimate the sugarcane area availability and enhance cane yield.

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