Six of the seven children born to a couple who served as school headteachers went on to pursue careers in various government services. The lone exception was JC Sisil Chandran, who chose farming as his profession- a decision his parents initially found difficult to accept, believing that he too could follow his siblings into official careers. Armed with a degree in Botany, Sisil made that choice 35 years ago.

What set Sisil apart was his deep love for agriculture and a natural aptitude for farming. Over the years, he steadily proved his expertise, earning recognition for his work in the field. The latest honour to come his way is the Kerala government's award for the state's best hi-tech farmer.

A life dedicated to farming
Since his childhood, agriculture has been a part of Sisil's life. During his schooldays, Sisil joined his father in carrying out various farm-related activities. "The passion for such tasks inspired me to take up farming as my profession. Initially, I cultivated paddy and vegetables following traditional methods. In 2010, I made the crucial shift to hi-tech farming," he said.

Benefits of polyhouse
The first crop Sisil cultivated using hi-tech farming methods was salad cucumber, grown inside a stabilised polyhouse fitted with an ultraviolet shield. Highlighting its advantages, he said the crop could be trailed vertically, enabling yields of up to eight tonnes from as little as 10 cents of land.

At present, Sisil grows a wide range of vegetables in his polyhouse, including green chillies, long beans, capsicum, broccoli, cabbage, beetroot, bitter gourd and snake gourd. Space is used efficiently, as additional crops are cultivated beneath the trellises erected for bitter gourd and snake gourd vines.

Ten-times yield
While preparing for every crop, Sisil gives top priority to selecting the best-quality seeds. As the cultivation takes place in a polyhouse, Sisil is able to provide water, light and fertiliser in correct amounts to the plants. This also gives him a yield of up to 10 times the normal quantity. Another advantage of polyhouse farming over field agriculture is protection against pests.

The tasks in Sisil's polyhouse are controlled with a sensor unit installed with the support of C-DAC. This enables Sisil to learn even a decrease in the level of sunlight in the polyhouse due to moss, by checking the app on his smartphone. Similarly, he can also sense the levels of water and fertiliser.

"By controlling the ecosystem, I can increase not only the yield but also the harvest period," said Sisil.

Hi-tech cattle shed
Sisil has reduced his farming expenses by half after adopting hi-tech methods. While engaging in hi-tech farming in 1.5 acres of the 3.5 acres of farmland he owns, Sisil has dedicated the remaining area for rearing 50 cows, 100 sheep, 2,000 heads of poultry, ducks, rabbits and fish.

Activities at the cattle shed are managed using the 'Nitara' app, which uses Artificial Intelligence. Sisil can monitor vaccinations, milk yields, animal pregnancies, and food intake for animals and birds using the app. Sisil has also designed a device to check the quality of the eggs collected from his farm.

Sales of seeds, saplings
In addition to cultivation, Sisil raises and sells more than five lakh saplings every year and also markets seeds of various crops. His farm has a steady customer base for milk, value-added dairy products and eggs as well.

Vegetables grown at Sisil's farm- DJM Hi-Tech Vegetable Production- are sold under the brand name 'Safe to Eat', with customers purchasing the produce directly from the farm.

Paddy farming on 10 acres
Even while focusing on hi-tech farming in a polyhouse, Sisil cultivates paddy on 10 acres, grass to feed his animals on three acres, tapioca on one acre and plantain on three acres. He deploys a drone to apply fertiliser to these crops. Honeybees and mushrooms are his other ventures.

Sisil earns additional income from producing 10 tonnes of vermicompost and cow dung, which are marketed in special packets. "To be successful in agriculture, you need dedication. You cannot adopt the attitude of leaving the farm after sowing and returning only during harvest time. Farming can be done even in small spaces. You can irrigate a crop with the water used for washing vegetables such as horse gram and long beans," said Sisil. 

A resident of Vandazhamvila at Plamoottukka in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram district, Sisil has a simple message for the younger generation: agriculture can be both a passion and a profitable livelihood. Sisil's contact number is 8330025215.