Taking scientific farming to the doorsteps of farmers, the Maharaja Institute of Technology (MIT) has come up with a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) that can be installed in fields to help them improve their agricultural productivity and fetch them a good price for their crops.
Developed by a 12-member team, including faculty and students of MIT, in collaboration with the Sri Kshetra Dharmstala Rural Development Programme (SKDRDP) , the technology has been tested successfully over 100 acres in three villages of Srirangapatna, Pandavapura and Ilavala.
Explains team head, Dr. Mahesh Rao, “When installed in the fields, the wireless sensor network collects all necessary data on soil moisture, weather, the crop as well as the market pricing and feeds it to the APSIM simulation software, which then tells the farmer precisely the type of crop he should grow with the least amount of input to get the maximum profit.”
Pointing out that China had increased its apple production from six metric tonnes per hectare in 1998 to 15 metric tonnes in 2010 with the use of WSN technology, he says, “We too can achieve similar results. This technology can also detect any change in chemical properties in the crop and immediately alert the farmer, calling for intervention”.