Artificial Intelligence in Plantation Crops

Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy with over 58% of the rural households dependent on it as their principal means of livelihood. The Indian agriculture sector, currently facing challenges of climate change, population growth and food security concerns, is progressively looking towards means to leverage innovative technologies which can substantially enhance crop productivity. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is steadily emerging as a part of the technological evolution of this sector. Plantation crops are grown in India over an area of 3.7 million hectares and provide livelihood security to around 30 million people, besides contributing Rs 250 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP). To explore the gamut of applications of AI in agriculture, with special reference to plantation crops, a two-day workshop was held last year.