Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation

sreepvfkrishna@gmail.com

Agricultural Research Grant Awardee 2024

A Novel Eco-Friendly Nano-Agriculture Strategy for Small-Marginal Farmers of Higher Himalayas

Dr Himanshi Jangir,

University of Petroleum Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Farming in mountainous terrains is labor-intensive since advanced mechanization is challenging. Small-scale farmers engage in subsistence farming as they lack the resources to profit from meager landholdings. Women travel long distances to collect fodder for cattle. Here, we intend to create a self-reliant and profitable food production ecosystem in remote areas for small-scale farmers with minimal investment while maintaining the niche Himalayan ecosystem without polluting with synthetic chemicals. We propose a fertilizer-free nano pyrite seed/root/shoot priming strategy to increase potato and green fodder crop production to support the Himalayan farming-dairy community and transform the subsistence farming model into profitable agribusiness.

India is rapidly transforming into a dynamic hub of intellectual innovation and discovery. To support the science and technology ecosystem in the country, the Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation has created peer- reviewed funding programs that recognize exceptional researchers with the potential to achieve ground-breaking results in areas of critical national
importance. Our foundation provides these researchers with generous funding and empowering mentorship to generate knowledge and develop sustainable solutions of the highest quality, particularly in the fields of biomedical and agricultural research. We also work on projects to deploy advanced knowledge and improve the income of small and marginal farmers. We believe that by working together, we can create sustainable solutions that will benefit not only India but also the world.

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