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Agri-Tech and Innovations
Context:
India, primarily an agrarian economy, holds immense potential for leveraging research and technological innovation in agriculture.
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- Despite being a market worth an estimated $24 billion, the AgriTech sector in the country faces significant challenges, including low adoption rates, high customer acquisition costs, limited investor interest, and infrastructural constraints.
- Experts believe that addressing these hurdles requires a distinctly Indian approach, integrating interdisciplinary efforts and prioritizing scalable, affordable, and resource-efficient solutions.
- The International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B), exemplifies this approach, focusing on innovations designed as digital public goods to transform agricultural practices.
Transformative AgriTech Projects at IIIT-B
IIIT-B has developed several AgriTech initiatives aimed at improving efficiency in agricultural processes. Key projects include:
- AutoGrow: An autonomous greenhouse system for precision agriculture.
- This system integrates biological food production with IoT and AI, automating greenhouse controls for climate, irrigation, and nutrient supply.
- AutoGrow features three configurations:
- Hydroponic System: For soilless cultivation.
- Vertical Stacking: Optimising space by vertically stacking grow bags.
- Open Field Systems: For conventional farming with IoT integration.
- Smart Greenhouse Monitoring System: A secure IoT-based solution for greenhouse farming.
- The Smart Greenhouse Monitoring System aims to modernise greenhouse farming through IoT. The system provides real-time monitoring of environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and soil moisture, automating controls and offering remote accessibility for farmers.
- Key features include:
- Automated controls based on sensor data.
- Data-driven alerts powered by machine learning.
- Remote access via mobile apps.
- Remote Compost Monitoring System: A system for sustainable waste management.
- Equipped with sensors to monitor pH, temperature, humidity, and CO₂ levels, the system minimises manual labor and ensures proper composting while mitigating odorous emissions.
- AgriSense: An IoT-based soil monitoring system equipped with advanced sensors.
- It addresses irrigation efficiency and soil health. It monitors soil moisture, temperature, and gas levels such as carbon dioxide and ammonia to assess soil quality and recommend optimal irrigation and fertilisation practices.
Overcoming Market and Funding Challenges
- Experts suggest targeting urban vegetable gardeners as early adopters for solutions like AgriSense before scaling to larger markets.
- For AutoGrow, the next step involves pairing the solution with a start-up through IIIT-B’s innovation cell to facilitate scaling.
- They acknowledge the fragmented nature of the agricultural sector and emphasise working with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to bridge the gap between technological solutions and farmers’ needs.
- A Public Digital Infrastructure Approach: Experts advocate for treating agriculture as a use case for public digital infrastructure, similar to Aadhaar.
India’s AgriTech sector has significant untapped potential. By focusing on resource-efficient, scalable, and India-specific solutions, supported by interdisciplinary collaboration and public digital infrastructure, the country can lead the way in transforming agricultural practices for a sustainable future.
