“NEW AI SYSTEM ENHANCES PEST CONTROL FOR FARMERS”

Why in the news?

The government launches the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) using AI to connect farmers with experts, improving pest management and reducing pesticide dependency for better crop yield.

"NEW AI SYSTEM ENHANCES PEST CONTROL FOR FARMERS" - UPSCsource:wordpress

About the Launch of the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS):

  • The Union Government introduced the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) on 15 August, using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance pest management for farmers.
  • Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasised the system’s goal to reduce farmers’ reliance on pesticide retailers and promote a scientific approach to pest control.
  • NPSS will leverage AI to analyse data and support both farmers and experts in identifying and managing pests more effectively.
About the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) :

  • Purpose: NPSS, an initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, aims to provide immediate solutions for pest control using AI and ML technologies.
  • Objective: Ensures timely advisories reach regions affected by pest attacks, aiding farmers in pest management through digital platforms.

Benefits of NPSS:

  • Early Detection: Identifies pest issues early and enables prompt action to contain them.
  • Expert Access: Provides timely expert support for pest identification and management.
  • Minimised Crop Loss: Uses real-time data to reduce crop damage and avoid pest epidemics.
  • Pest Data Repository: Maintains a national repository to help public agencies and formulate effective pest control policies.
  • AI Solutions: Develops AI-based solutions for various crop-pest combinations using extensive data.

Key Features of NPSS:

  • AI-Based Pest Identification: Identifies pests/diseases for 61 crops.
  • Surveillance Modules:
  • Quantitative: For scientific staff, requiring credentials.
  • Qualitative: For farmers, with simple infestation levels and no login required.
  • Trap-Based: Uses trap data for monitoring, currently for cotton.
  • Advisory Module: Offers crop-specific pest advisories through a web portal.

NPSS Mobile App:

  • Available on Android and iOS via Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
  • Functionality: Works online and offline; uses AI & ML for pest/disease management.
  • Features: Tracks epidemics, pest trends, and hotspots; provides expert advisories and ETL-based decision-making.
  • Download: Search “NPSS” on Google Play Store or iOS App Store.

Partners:

  • ICAR-NCIPMC: Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Research Centre for Integrated Pest Management
  • ICAR-IASRI: Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute
  • Plantix: Plantix is a company name and does not have a full form; it’s a mobile app for plant health.
  • Wadhwani AI: Wadhwani Artificial Intelligence (a non-profit organisation focused on AI solutions for social impact)