Who is Abdul Khader Nadakattin? Know more about Padma Shri award winner agriculturalist from Karnataka

A grassroots agricultural innovator from Karnataka's Dharwad, Abdul Khader Nadakattin received Padma Shri award from President Ram Nath Kovind. He has been credited with over 40 innovations that assist small and marginal farmers across India.

Abdul Khader Nadakattin is a grassroots innovator from Dharwad of Karnataka. He is famous for his innovations like a tamarind seed separation device, a ploughing blade making machine, a seed cum fertiliser drill, a water-heating boiler, an automatic sugarcane sowing driller, and a wheel tiller.

His solutions are considered as very practical for common formers and easily implemented in their farms. His solutions are also less harmful to environment and cost-effective, hence accepted by the farmers. His major expertise is in doing farming on the basis of agro-climatic conditions and also testing soil characteristics before cultivating any specific seeds.

His first invention was a “A Wa(h!)ter Alarm,” . He invested it for himself to overcome his problem of sleeping late in the mornings. He knotted a thin rope to the end of the alarm’s key to a bottle of water in such way that after alarm rings, water would fall on his face. He also created agri-technologies and tools which are modern compare to the earlier tools available.

Abdul Khader Nadakattin has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from then-Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015, during the NIF’s 8th National Grassroots Innovation and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge Awards.