IISc, Japanese firm join hands to study agriculture sector

An IoT (internet of things) development centre has been established at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in collaboration with Japanese business consulting firm alfaTKG.

The alfaTKG has been working with the Inter-disciplinary Centre for Water Research (ICWaR) at IISc as part of a MoU signed with the centre last year. A faculty from the centre said, “In Japan, farmers are small (in terms of area) just like India and grow a lot of paddy. The firm is looking at tech methods for improving water efficiency through the use of sensors.”  One of the first areas of collaboration will be in the field of water and agriculture. He said that it was futile to use more water for farming as only the right amount can ensure productivity.

“Agriculture needs the efficient use of water. Many farmers do not know about sensors, which sensors to apply and for what purposes — to detect water levels, crop growth,” he added. Such information can be compiled by the use of simple and cheaper sensors available, such as in mobiles, technology that converts details in a photograph into information.

Dhanapandi Periaswamy, South Asian head of alfaTKG, spoke about developing systems and applications which can help farmers get exact information on aspects like crop status, irrigation and resource distribution. “Information on soil temperature, humidity and wind direction will also be collected and based on these data the requirement for the crop will be made,” he said. 

The firm will also be looking at solutions for manufacturing sector and will focus on small and medium-scale industries. “We are looking for smart integrated solutions for manufacturing,” said Periaswamy.