GOALPARA, June 22 - The Solar Bubble Dryer (SBD), an innovative crop drying technology developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Phillipines, Grainpro and Hohenheim University was demonstrated for the first time at Balijana block, Goalpara on Friday.
Talking to this correspondent, Block Technology Manager, Balijana Block Raihan Hussein said that the demonstration-cum-awareness camp was organised by the Farmers� Information Advisory Committee (FIAC), ATMA at the Balijana Block in association with APERT, AAU (HRS), Kahikuchi & IRRI,Guwahati.
Hussein also said that SBD is a low-cost drying technology which aims to provide an alternative to the sun drying of rice grains while protecting it from animals, spillage etc., and this is an improvement over the traditional method in which farmers spread out the paddy in the open and trying to protect the grain from contamination, insects, rain, overheating at noon and also eliminates the possibility of vehicles running over the grain if spread on the roads.
Hussein further informed that Dr Surja Kant Khandai gave a detailed and live demonstration on the SBD technology to the farmers as to how the moisture content in paddy grains can be brought down by using the technology. The new technology is very handy which draws power from solar as well as traditional electricity and farmers also witnessed how to dismantle and reassemble the machinery on their own.
