HYDERABAD: To enhance the productivity of over 8,000 small and marginal farmers across Telangana (Sangareddy, Vikarabad) and Karnataka (Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) along with University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Raichur and Agribridge on Wednesday launched the SMART-CROP (Sustainable Monitoring and Real-time Tracking for Crop Resilience and Optimal Practices) project.
This is a three-year project, supported under SBI Foundation’s LEAP (Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme). By using cutting edge technologies such as satellite imaging, remote sensing, and AI/ML-driven analytics, the project will provide real-time crop stress monitoring, enabling farmers to take preventive action against climate risks, pest and disease outbreaks and soil health degradation.
Highlighting the SMART-CROP initiative, Dr Mamta Sharma, principal scientist and lead, Pathology at ICRISAT, said, “Around 40 per cent of global crop loss occurs annually due to pests and diseases. To support farmers, this project integrates cutting-edge technologies with sustainable farming practices to address both persistent and emerging challenges in pulse cultivation (pigeon pea and chickpea). By using satellite imaging, AI/ML tools, and weather forecasting, it enables real-time crop stress detection.”