A field demonstration of the modified Arka Bulblet Planter developed by ICAR–IIHR was conducted on 06.12.2025 at Bashettihalli village, Chikkaballapura district, under the DST–Vigyandhara-4305 project titled “Enhancing Livelihood Security of Small-Holder Farm Women of Karnataka through Horticultural Interventions Using Pluralistic Extension Approaches.” The demonstration was organised in association with Shree Gangabhavani Horticulture Farmer Producer Company, Bashettihalli, to showcase the planter’s application in planting potato seed tubers.

The implement, improved through participatory research involving local farmers, was modified to suit the requirements of both onion bulblets and potato seed tubers. This ensured that innovations refined based on farmers’ insights and field realities, making the equipment more practical, acceptable, and easily adoptable at the grassroots level. During the demonstration, farmers observed the improved planting efficiency, uniform placement of seed tubers, and the considerable reduction in labour and time when compared to conventional planting methods. The operational simplicity and multipurpose utility of the planter generated keen interest among the farmers, who noted its potential to reduce the need for multiple implements and lower overall cultivation costs.

The programme enabled farmers to gain practical exposure to an innovation that can enhance field efficiency and reduce drudgery during planting operations. More than 40 farmers attended the demonstration. The event was coordinated by Dr. Ramya H. R. (PI of the Project), Dr. B. Balakrishna, and Dr. A. Carolin Rathinakumari (Co-PIs of the Project).