‘Wonder plougher’ for low-cost farming

‘Wonder plougher’, an innovative agricultural implement developed by T. Prakasan, promises to take the rigour out of ploughing. The appliance has been exhibited at the Rural Innovators Meet (RIM) - 2018, a three-day event at Puthoorvayal in Wayanad district, to promote rural innovative inventions.

The equipment can plough garden soil to a depth of 1 ft. It weighs only 12 kg and can be handled with ease. The implement also works on battery and can be effectively utilised in managing small-scale gardens.

Mr. Prakasan said the appliance was developed in two months. The prototype was built at a cost of ₹50,000. Patent for the machine was under process. If produced on a commercial scale, it would cost around ₹15,000, he said. Mr. Prakasan also exhibited a remote-controlled version of a coconut climber christened ‘wonder climber’. The machine can pluck areca nut and coconut as well as spray Bordeaux mixture and other plant protection agents around a diameter of 10 metres by operating remotely from the ground.

The exhibition is being organised jointly by the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation.