K'taka sows seeds for precision agriculture

The Agricultural Price Commission has roped in computer major IBM to assess the real-time situation of cultivated land, crop health and also project potential yield to avoid price crash with the help of precision farming.

Commission Chairman Prakash Kammardi said an agreement was signed with The Weather Company, owned by IBM, for a pilot project in four districts. The project involves employing satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan the land for cultivation patterns.

“We will start with two crops in five districts to assess the accuracy of the system. The tomato crop in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Belagavi and maize in Davangere and Haveri will be monitored,” Kammardi said. The company will gather information local weather patterns, soil conditions and employ geographic information system.

“Historical data and latest information will be analysed with the help of AI. Right now, we understand area under cultivation through crude methods like the sale of seeds. From March 15, the new system will not only give realistic data but also provide information on the crop’s productivity by assessing its health,” he said.

The commission has already developed a digital dashboard which displays arrival and sale of products to the agricultural produce market committee everyday. “This data, together with the information provided on IBM dashboard, will help us predict the glut and shortage in the market,” he said.

Prices crash is one of the major reason driving farmers to suicide. Farmers express their anger by dumping the produce on roads instead of selling them at dirt-cheap rates. The commission believes that this knowledge will help in providing useful information to farmers as well as the government.

“With this, the government will have accurate understanding of the price situation in the market before announcing minimum support price. We can spread awareness among farmers and keep them mentally prepared for low prices in the worst case scenario,” he said.

The company has chosen maize and tomato as it has validated models of assessment tools in the pilot project. Kammaradi said the success of the pilot project will determine whether the commission will adopt the model in more districts and for more crops.