IIITM-K-led Team Harnesses Cloud Tech for field- level Agricultural Advisory

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
In a boon to farmers, a team of researchers led by scientists of the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management –Kerala (IIITM-K) has successfully integrated Crop Simulation Model (CSM) on a cloud platform.

CSMs are decision-making frameworks that provide plot-level advisory to cultivators and take into consideration the dynamics in factors that affect crop productivity.

The model, named as MONICA (Model for Nitrogen and Carbon in Agro-Ecosystems), becomes the first ever CSM to be integrated on the Cloud. This can be articulated to provide real-time guidance to farmers. Based on the recommendations provided by the model, farmers will now be able to take remedial actions, if required.

The feat was accomplished by the Consortium of Researchers for Disruptive Technologies in Agriculture (CDTA). The Indian members of CDTA include Dr R. Jaishanker, Professor, IIITM-K; Prof. A.S. Nain, Professor, GBPUAT, Pantnagar, Dr R.R. Nidamanuri (IIST); Mr Subin John Mathew, Researcher, IIITM-K; Mr S.C. Rajan, Researcher, IIITM-K; and Mr Pawan Mall, Researcher, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology- GBPUAT).

Dr Claas Nendal and Dr. Kurt Christian Kersebaum (Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Germany), Dr. A. Srivastava (Univ of Bonn, Germany), F.J. Behr (UAS, Stuttgart, Germany) and Dr. Ajit Govind, ICRADA, Egypt are the international members.

Dr. V.K. Dadhwal, Director, IIST, is the mentor of CDTA. CDTA focuses on leveraging disruptive technologies to improve the agrarian sector, has been formed by bringing major institutions from across the world under one umbrella.
MONICA can give solutions to the uncertainties in the agriculture sector to a great extent.