From Crop Health to Water Management: How India is Using AI to Boost Farming
11 December 2024, New Delhi: The Government of India is harnessing the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address key challenges in the agricultural sector, enhancing productivity and empowering farmers with cutting-edge solutions. These AI-driven initiatives are shaping a smarter, more resilient agricultural ecosystem while ensuring the welfare of farmers across the country.
One of the flagship initiatives is the introduction of Kisan e-Mitra, an AI-powered chatbot designed to assist farmers with their queries about the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This chatbot supports multiple languages, ensuring inclusivity and ease of access for farmers nationwide. As the platform evolves, it is set to extend its support to other government programs, further bridging the information gap between farmers and policymakers.
To combat crop losses due to climate change, the government has implemented a National Pest Surveillance System, which utilizes AI and machine learning to detect pest infestations and crop diseases. This system enables timely interventions, protecting crops from extreme weather conditions and ensuring healthier yields. Complementing this, AI-based analytics are used to monitor crop health through field photographs, satellite data, weather patterns, and soil moisture datasets. These advanced techniques have proven particularly effective for monitoring critical crops like rice and wheat, helping farmers mitigate risks and improve productivity.
The government’s focus on resource optimization is evident in the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme, launched in 2015-16. This initiative promotes micro-irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler irrigation to enhance water-use efficiency at the farm level. These systems not only conserve water but also reduce fertilizer consumption through fertigation, minimize labor costs, and ultimately enhance farmers’ incomes. Under the PDMC scheme, small and marginal farmers receive a financial subsidy of 55%, while other farmers are entitled to a 45% subsidy for the installation of these systems.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has also played a pivotal role in integrating AI with agriculture. ICAR has developed IoT-based irrigation systems that have been field-tested on select crops, demonstrating significant improvements in irrigation efficiency and resource sustainability.
By employing AI in initiatives like pest surveillance, crop health monitoring, and water management, the government is addressing pressing issues such as climate change impacts, resource scarcity, and crop losses. These innovative solutions provide farmers with actionable insights, enabling them to adopt smarter farming practices that are both sustainable and profitable. The integration of AI into agriculture not only enhances productivity but also ensures the resilience of India’s farming community against future challenges.
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