ASR Seeds, a Andhra Pradesh-based seeds company that began operations 10 years ago, will soon get into another critical area of agriculture using cutting-edge technology.
The company will launch an Internet of Things (IoT) irrigation system that will use minimal water in the fields (less than the drip irrigation system, which has been used widely in Andhra Pradesh), ASR Seeds director Alla Raveendra Reddy says.
Reddy says that ASR Seeds will launch the IoT irrigation system in the next few months, using the technology from a company in Israel. “The IoT technology is state-of-the-art and will help farmers improve the yields from their farms. This will be particularly helpful in farms that are drought-prone,” Reddy says.
Reddy says that ASR Seeds manufactures and markets red chilli, pepper, pulses and cotton. The seeds were developed by ASR Seeds’ in-house research center, which is based in Guntur. The research, spread over 25 acres of land, has 20 researchers.
“Our research facility was recognized as a designated research facility by the central government two years ago. This means that the seeds designed and produced by our research scientists are recognized and can be sold across the country,” Reddy says.
He says that ASR Seeds had a tie-up with United Phosphorus Ltd (UPL) under which UPL will be launching a granule, which can absorb a substantial amount of water.
“The granule is called Zeba and it is being used in drought-prone areas of Maharashtra to improve the absorption of water in the farms. Zeba granules can absorb large quantities of water, which helps in keeping the well-irrigated using lesser quantities of water,” Reddy says.
Reddy, whose family started ASR Seeds in 2008, says that the company’s seeds, particularly those for red chilli, pepper, various pulses and cotton, are marketed in several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
ASR Seeds produced seeds using the open-pollinated method and the hybrid variety.
Elaborating on the company’s strategy to foray into areas other than seed manufacturing, Reddy says that ASR Seeds is in the process of launching bioproducts, using patent-protected products from a United States-based company.
Source: Times of India.
