Improved agronomic decisions could soon be a reality for Indian farmers following the launch of an international sensor technology project.
The collaborative work aims to deliver a cost-effective environmental sensor technology to help enhance crop productivity, reduce waste and increase profitability.
Overseen by CHAP and Terraprima, alongside Indian organic fertiliser company Organic Solution Inc, the sensors will collect real-time data, including light level, air temperature, air relative humidity, soil moisture, temperature, and water level.
Data will then be fed back to a dashboard, supporting improved agronomic decisions that de-risk and prioritise operations for the farmer.
The project is being driven by a sensor technology company, Terraprima group, which is having expertise in Artificial Intelligence in agriculture. They will design, develop, and manufacture the sensor hardware in house. CEO Jozef Wallis said, “This presents an exceptional opportunity to provide sustainable agriculture in India.
“For the first time, data will be shared across the various stakeholders to provide improvements and efficiencies that benefit the whole farming community.
“Working closely with our esteemed partners, we look forward to this foundational step forward that will develop accurate algorithms to help on- and off-farm activities, including reducing waste and inputs, to improve the quality of crops.”
The project has recently secured six months of funding through the UK Government from The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Science and Innovation Network. This is to support identifying pilot sites for the construction, shipping and deployment of environment sensor technology to India, followed by gathering data, capacity building and dissemination of results.
CHAP International Business Development Manager, Dr Jenna Ross, said, “In India, there are large numbers of smallholdings where risks are high, margins are tight, and there is little capital available for investment in new technology. Agronomic expertise can be expensive, particularly if farm visits are required.
“Consequently, CHAP is absolutely delighted to support this project, bringing our wealth of international project experience to address this issue in India and provide a solution.
“Supporting an evolution towards using real-time field data rather than historical or anecdotal experience, means more accurate decisions can be made and acted upon, even by the growers themselves.”
The dashboard will also feature weather forecasts and decision support tools alongside the sensor data.
The project collaborates with Organic Solution Inc., an organic Fertiliser manufacturing company established with a mission to provide the world-best bio-organic agriculture inputs to India's farmers and become a one-stop agricultural solution provider.
CEO of Organic Solution Inc, Mark Garvin, said, “Our team consists of certified agronomists who are experts in crop nutrition and agribusiness.
Organic Solution inc has supplied its patented biological Fertiliser to more than 10,00,000 Acres.
Such type of innovative technologies will transform the agriculture conditions of India, says Organic Solution Inc Co-Founder Mr Zulfiquar Ghadiyali.
“We understand farmers’ goals, working across India and around the globe to help thousands optimise yields in economical ways. We are thrilled to be working on this innovative project alongside Terraprima and CHAP.”
Website: https://www.terraprimagroup.co.uk/
https://organicsolution.in/
