IoT-based system to boost precision farming

Indian Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) has partnered with the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) to develop an Internet of Things (IoT)-based data sensing system for AutoGrow, an autonomous greenhouse system for precision agriculture.

Under the partnership, a fully automated, self-regulating farming system will be created and opened shortly as a laboratory, titled AutoGrow Laboratory.

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III-B director Prof Debabrata Das said the data sensing system and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) techniques will enable the AutoGrow system to make real-time decisions based on data, optimising the crop yield and resource usage. He said the system would play “a crucial role” in ensuring food security and sustainability for future generations.

“The goal is to deploy the sensor system and an AI/ML model into the open farm, which will control water flow, add minerals, and record data such as temperature, humidity, and water flow”, Dr Ramesh Kestur, the project’s Principal Investigator, IIIT-B, said in a statement.

IIHR is providing biological support for the project while IIIT-B is working on the IoT and AI/ML techniques.

IIHR principal scientist Dr Aswath C R said Wick irrigation used in the system could save up to 60% of water compared to the traditional drip irrigation systems.