Experts speak on latest technologies in ‘Smart Agriculture’

Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences webinar on Smart Agriculture covers advancements in technology and sustainable practices.

A webinar covering the topic ‘Smart Agriculture’ was conducted recently by Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences (KITS) as a part of The Hindu Education Plus Career Counselling Series.

R. Augustine, associate professor, Department of Agronomy, KITS, said: “Small applications are crucial because various human activities lead to land deterioration, which in turn affects the crop quality. Agriculture 4.0 has four pillars: advancement, use of modern equipment, scaling up data for supervision, and environmental sustainability.”

Sajan Kurien, dean of the School of Agriculture and Biosciences, KITS, said: “One of the advantages of seedling production is that protected cultivation has a higher germination rate and better quality plants.”

D. Alice, Professor of Plant Pathology, KITS, spoke on the application of Internet of Things (IoT) in plant protection. She highlighted a Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research-developed mobile phone application called ‘TUMAINI’, which utilises artificial intelligence-powered image-recognition technology and a comprehensive database to accurately diagnose diseases and pests affecting crops.

Dhanusha Balakrishnan, assistant professor, KITS, addressed the agricultural economics and advisory services and discussed about farm and agricultural extensions. She highlighted developments in e-learning platforms to enhance training and capacity building.