CICR develops app for benefit of Indian cotton farmers

The Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur has developed an Android-based app for farmers, called ‘CICR cotton App’, containing information on cotton, from sowing, varieties, hybrids, cultivation to management practices like protection and production technology. Farmers can use the app to know about market prices and cultivation scenario.

CICR is an institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The app was formally released by ICAR director general Trilochan Mohapatra a few days ago in New Delhi. The information in the app available in English language is being translated into Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu and Tamil, according to a report in an Indian newspaper.

According to CICR director VN Waghmare, the key components in the app are information on best varieties and hybrids, which should be ideally cultivated by farmers, crop protection and production technology and farmers outreach programmes. It also has weekly advisories and regular updates on facts and figures related to cotton cultivation, production, market, pricing and schemes.

The varieties and hybrids have been listed and explained based on north, central and south zones. The cultivators have been listed according as per the state agriculture universities of the region.

Protection technologies have details on insect-pest management and disease management, while production technologies have details on soils and tillage, sowing time and cropping system.

The facts and figures updated regularly include area production yields of cotton in the country, production and productivity, state-wise production and productivity data, MSP of cotton, exports and consumption of cotton.

Earlier this year, the Cotton Association of India (CAI) had launched the ‘CAI trader’ app for the benefit of all its members who deal in cotton trade. The app would help cotton traders with fresh market data about prices and arrival.