Idle to Ideal: Innovative Vegetable Farming in CUSAT

Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is utilising 3 to 4 acres of vacant land in the campus to cultivate vegetables to make students active during lockdown and ensure sufficient food supply locally under the Idle to Ideal project. The green initiative was taken by the National Service Scheme Unit of CUSAT in association with Kerala Agriculture Department and funded by the Subiksha Keralam project. Electricity and water are provided free for cultivation. Farmers provided by the agriculture department and students staying near to campus are actively involved in cultivation and harvest.The produce is sold locally at subsidised price. The project uses open precision farming, micro irrigation, fertigation techniques to get the best yields, according to Sangeetha K Prathap, Asst Professor and co-ordinator of NSS unit. Among the vegetables cultivated are cucumber, bittergourd, yam, tomato, brinjal, spinach, bananas, beans etc.