Here we explore the role of AI and satellite imagery in revolutionizing Indian agriculture by enhancing precision farming, monitoring crops, optimizing resources, and boosting productivity.
Crop health monitoring module from fieldWISE
Pest forewarning module in fieldWISE prevented the loss of 6-7 lakh hectares of cotton to pink bollworm and 1.8-2 lakh hectares of maize and jowar to fall armyworm in the 2017-2018 period.
3.Predictive Analytics: AI models can forecast crop yields based on historical data, weather forecasts, and satellite imagery. This helps farmers and policymakers make informed decisions on planting, harvesting, and market planning. In 2018 the sowing advisory feature within fieldWISE contributed to a 10% – 15% boost in groundnut yield in Anantapur district compared to the previous year.
4.Land Use Planning: Satellite imagery aids in monitoring land use changes, soil erosion, and deforestation, supporting sustainable land management practices. AI algorithms analyze this data to optimize land use decisions and preserve natural resources.
5.Weather and Climate Monitoring: Satellites provide continuous monitoring of weather patterns and climate changes. AI models analyze this data to predict weather extremes, such as droughts or floods, allowing farmers to implement adaptive strategies in advance.
fieldWISE’s drought early warning module identified 274 high-risk mandals out of 677. This early detection enabled timely provision of input subsidies, benefiting farmers financially.
6.Market Access and Supply Chain Optimization: AI algorithms analyze satellite data to predict market demand, optimize logistics, and improve supply chain efficiency. This helps farmers access markets more effectively and reduce post-harvest losses.
7.Farm Automation: AI-powered robotics and drones equipped with satellite-guided navigation assist in tasks such as planting, spraying, and harvesting. This reduces labor costs, enhances efficiency, and minimizes environmental impact.
8.Bund Boundary Mapping: In precision agriculture, boundaries are essential as they define the shape and area of fields. These boundaries are critical for monitoring systems and mapping software, ensuring accurate field location and exclusions. With the help of Satellite imagery and AI, field boundaries can be accurately mapped against farmer data. This helps governments, enterprises and financial institutions monitor and validate field details.
Bund boundary mapping of fieldWISE
9.Role of GenAI: GenAI-powered chatbots can be developed to provide agricultural advisory to farmers and officers in their native languages. This helps farmers access the latest knowledge and findings related to agricultural practices easily. Farmers can use these chatbots to access weather advisories, irrigation tips, and pest identification alerts, thereby optimizing their agricultural practices.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in India has leveraged Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address various challenges in the agricultural sector and support farmers. Some of the initiatives include:
– ‘Kisan e-Mitra’: An AI-powered chatbot designed to assist farmers with queries related to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This chatbot supports multiple languages and is expanding to cover other government programs.
– National Pest Surveillance System: Utilizes AI and Machine Learning to monitor and mitigate crop losses caused by climate change. This system detects crop issues early, facilitating timely interventions for healthier crops.
– AI-based analytics: Utilizes field photographs for crop health assessment and integrates satellite, weather, and soil moisture datasets to monitor rice and wheat crops.
These initiatives were announced by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ in February 2024. The Government has initiated the National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A), allocating funds to states and union territories for projects leveraging modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Drones, Data Analytics, and Blockchain. These efforts aim to develop innovative solutions following proposals from states, enhancing access to crucial information and digital infrastructure in agriculture. Additionally, the government has announced the development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture, promoting open-source and interoperable solutions to empower farmers with comprehensive services like crop planning, health monitoring, access to inputs, credit, insurance, crop estimation, and market intelligence.
AI and satellite imagery revolutionize agriculture by providing valuable insights and optimizing resource management, improving productivity, and fostering sustainable practices. Institutions such as the World Bank and the UN, and governments play a crucial role in supporting farmers to adopt these technologies through funding research, providing subsidies for technology adoption, offering training programs, and establishing policies that promote innovation and technological integration in agriculture. This contribution enhances food security and promotes economic development globally.
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