AI to drive new era of smart farming

Digital innovation, particularly the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), is widely considered the future of smart agriculture, enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions, optimise resource usage, increase crop yields and promote sustainable farming practices through real-time monitoring and predictive analysis.

In a significant step towards revolutionising agriculture through digital technologies, the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has established a School of Digital Innovations for Smart Agriculture. This initiative aims to introduce cutting-edge technologies like AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and drone technology to the agricultural sector under Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO). The funding support of Rs 5 crore has been granted, of which Rs 2.5 crore was received by PAU from the Punjab Government.

The Centre has provided Rs 1 crore for the establishment of RPTO under the RKVY scheme to PAU. Ministry of Civil Aviation, GOI, has accorded approval for RPTO, under which licenced drone flying trainings will be provided to rural youth for the benefit of farmers.

The School of Digital Innovations for Smart Agriculture will be equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories, providing comprehensive teaching, research and training facilities for students, farmers and entrepreneurs.

The school will offer a postgraduate diploma in robotics and mechatronics in agriculture, as well as an MTech programme in AI and data science, starting from this academic session.

The primary objective of this initiative is to develop a skilled workforce that can harness the potential of digital technologies to transform agriculture. By integrating AI, IoT, robotics mechatronics and drone technology, we can enhance crop yields, reduce water consumption, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

The School of Digital Innovations for Smart Agriculture will focus on developing innovative solutions for precision farming, crop monitoring and automated farming systems. The new PG courses and training programmes will equip students with hands-on experience in designing, developing and deploying AI-powered agricultural systems for improving the productivity.

The benefits of this initiative will be multifaceted such as enhanced crop yields, water conservation and increased efficiency through automated farming systems, improved decision-making in agricultural ecosystem. In the future, this initiative can lead to the development of smart farms, agricultural startups and digital agriculture ecosystems.

By establishing the School of Digital Innovations for Smart Agriculture, PAU’s College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology is poised to revolutionise the agricultural sector in Punjab and beyond. This initiative has the potential to transform agriculture into a more efficient, productive and sustainable industry, ultimately benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

AI is playing a transformative role in agriculture by improving crop yields, reducing input costs and optimising the efficient use of resources. AI-powered technologies analyse vast amounts of data from sensors, drones and other digital tools to forecast agricultural productivity, identify problematic areas and enhance resource allocation strategies and PAU’s School of Digital Innovations for Smart Agriculture is a step taken forward in this regard. These technologies enable precision farming, helping farmers make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and sustainability.

With ongoing advancements, AI is set to drive a new era of smart farming, fostering more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.