Patent Granted for Crop Protective Herbicide Applicator developed at College of Agriculture, Vellayani

Crop Protective Herbicide Applicator Crop protective herbicide applicator is a machinery for directed application of herbicides while simultaneously minimising herbicide spray drift and the subsequent harm to crop brought on by phytotoxicity. The Patent Office, Government of India has granted patent for the invention entitled, ‘A Crop Protective Herbicide Applicator’ to the Kerala Agricultural University, for a period of twenty years with effect from 25-03-2021. This invention benefits farmers who use pre-emergence and post emergence herbicides in crops as it allows them to control weeds with the minimal crop damage. The main parts of the machinery are a crop protective hood, spray hood and spray nozzle. When the machinery is in operation, the crop is drawn inside the crop protective hood, where it is shielded from the spray droplets emanating from the nozzle outside. Weeds are drawn inside the spray hood and are wetted by the spray droplets from nozzle. The spray hood confine the airborne spray droplets within. Spray drift and the consequent harm to crop brought on by phytotoxicity are significantly reduced by the use of crop protective hood in conjunction with spray hood in the machinery. The design of the machinery was the outcome of research by scientists Dr. Sheeja K. Raj, Dr. Jacob D., Dr. Shalini Pillai P., and the post-graduate scholars Mr. Dhanu Unnikrishnan, Ms. Anitrosa Innazent, Ms. Krishnasree Radhakrishnan, and Ms. Seethal Rose Chacko at the Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani