Toppers in 59th Convocation of University of Agriculture Sciences in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

A total of 1,271 candidates were conferred with bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees, with over 150 gold medals to 63 students during the 59th convocation ceremony of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS)-Bangalore was held on Thursday (May 15, 2025).

Speaking on occasion, U.S. Awasthi, Managing Director, IFFCO, New Delhi said, “In India over, 90% of the soil across 27 States is deficient in nitrogen, 85% lack sufficient organic carbon and significant proportions are deficient in phosphorus, potassium, boron, zink, iron and sulphur. These deficiencies contribute to widespread malnutrition with nearly one-third stunted and high rate of anaemia among children and women.”

He said that the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals has caused the accumulation of toxic residues and heavy metals. “Healthy soil, which once teemed with life, is now losing its fertility, productivity and resilience,” he added.

“Decades of overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have led to a sharp decline in soil organic matters. Modern farming practices often rely heavily on synthetic inputs, leading to residues in the final produce. These residues not only pose health risks to consumers, but also affect the export potential of agricultural commodities due to stringent international safety standards,” he said.

Speaking about adopting technology in farming, Mr. Awasthi said that traditional farming has been based on age old practices, depending heavily on the experience of farmers and the natural forces around them. But, the world has changed. Today our population is growing, natural resources are shrinking and climate change is knocking at our door. “So, we need smarter ways to feed our world without harming the ecosystem. Precision farming technology helps make better decisions at every step,” he stated.

“With the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), images from drones and cameras are analysed autochorically to detect early signs of stress in plants. The AI not only detects the problem, but can even suggest the better solutions. Tiny devices placed in the soil or on plants constantly measure moisture, nutrient levels and temperature. This means farmers know exactly when it water the crops, how much fertilizer is needed and when to harvest with precision,” he explained.

Thawarchand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka and Chancellor of the University said, “Currently we are facing challenges like global warming, water crisis, soil degradation, overuse of pesticides and financial distress of farmers. In such a situation, the role of agriculture graduates, agricultural scientists, innovators and policy makers is more important. India is at the forefront in adopting technological innovations in the agricultural sector. There is a need to promote new options to meet the current demand for agricultural production. More work is needed in vertical farming technology to produce more yield in less land,” he said.

N. Cheluvarayaswamy, Minister of Agriculture, and Pro-Chancellor of the University said, “The State government has emphasised integrated farming, food parks, AI based digital farming, re-delineation of agro-climatic zones in the recent state budget. Subsidy of 90% for micro-irregation, utilization of agricultural wastes for soil health enhancement, utilization of geo-spatial technologies for agriculture is also prioritized for the year 2025.”