Coimbatore sugarcane scientists bag national award for soil moisture innovation

CHENNAI: A team of scientists from the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI), Coimbatore, has been conferred the prestigious Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Puraskar – 2025 under the category Innovation and Technology in Agriculture and Allied Sciences. According to ICAR-SBI, the award, presented by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on July 16 during the 97th Foundation Day of ICAR in New Delhi, marks a significant milestone in agricultural innovation. "The award-winning team—K Hari, D Puthira Prathap, P Murali, A Rameshsundar, and B Singaravelu—was recognised for developing the Soil Moisture Indicator (SMI), a portable, farmer-friendly device that optimises irrigation by monitoring soil moisture using electrical conductivity principles," a release from the Institute read. "SMI-based irrigation has shown a 15% reduction in water use while increasing sugarcane yields from 55.8 to 60.4 tonnes per acre per year," said lead inventor Hari.

"Trials were conducted across five Tamil Nadu districts under the Jal Shakti Ministry's Farmers' Participatory Action Research Project. An advanced version, the Digital Soil Moisture Sensor (DSMS), compatible with Android phones, has also been developed under a public-private partnership. The innovation has received design registrations—ICAR's first—and has been adopted by 22 companies, " added the release.

Director of ICAR-SBI, P Govindaraj lauded the team, noting that such technologies are vital for sustainable agriculture and efficient water management.

The SMI is currently priced at Rs 2,000 and has been integrated into national farming guidelines and subsidy programmes.