KOZHIKODE: Imagine managing a sprawling mushroom farm or a high-tech greenhouse from your living room or halfway across the globe. For farmers of Kerala, this is no longer a vision, but a reality delivered by five young engineering graduates who are turning the agricultural sector on its head. Led by Abhinav Bavos, their startup, Agrowtein Labs, is giving the “harsh, manual labour” era of farming a sophisticated, high-tech makeover.
The seeds of their innovation were sown at Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirappally, where Abhinav teamed up with classmates Onesimos K K, from Alappuzha, and the Idukki trio of Mathew Jais, Christin Jose Kuruvilla, and Alosh Johny.
“This was our dream. We started with pump automation for paddy fields and then moved into developing a comprehensive system,” says Abhinav, from Koorachundu, Kozhikode.
At the heart of it all is Agrowtrack, a compact device that acts as a digital sentinel in the field. By monitoring critical parameters such as soil moisture, temperature, and carbon dioxide levels, it beams real-time data onto a web dashboard. But the system does more than just watch: it thinks.
Powered by artificial intelligence, the technology provides expert guidance to farmers and features a self-adjusting automation system. If the humidity in a mushroom farm drops or CO2 levels rise beyond the limit even at 2am, the system intervenes instantly. “Even at night, the machines can automatically control and maintain these parameters,” says Abhinav.
The impact of their work is already visible across the region. From mushroom farms in Piravom and Kothamangalam to a greenhouse in Thrissur and even projects as far as Udupi, Agrowtein Labs is making its presence felt.
The technology can be applied widely, in terms of range of crops and systems of farming, including hydroponics and greenhouse. It can manage everything from aquaculture pH levels to automated fertigation for hydroponic lettuce and bell peppers.
By using AI to analyse sensors that might lose calibration over time, it ensures that the water’s acidity and electrical conductivity stay perfect. Supported by the Kerala Startup Mission, the innovators, in their late 20s, are not just building a company; they are building a legacy for the next generation of agriculturists.