Nobel Laureate Prof Michael Kremer and a 12-member panel from the University of Chicago, on a visit to Odisha on Saturday, suggested the State Government introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based forecasting of rainfall, temperature, and humidity to curb insects destroying standing crops and vegetation.
The panel headed by Nobel Laureate Prof. Kremer deliberated with agriculture and farmers’ empowerment department officials regarding the ongoing research project on weather forecast dissemination system and its rationality, validity, and acceptability among the farming community of the State.
Prof Kremer appreciated the Krushi Samruddhi Helpline (KSH) launched by the State Government.
He noted that the outreach of KSH is helping last-mile farmers in saving their crops from climate-related challenges and suggested introduction of AI-based forecasting, taking rainfall, temperature, and humidity into account, to better predict pest incidence.
Such forecasting would help farmers adopt precautionary and preventive measures to protect crops from abnormal weather occurrences, he said while further emphasizing the need for integrating multiple weather forecasting models with the existing KSH system.
The Secretary Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department Arabinda Kumar Padhee highlighted the government’s holistic approaches, including Comprehensive Rice Fallow Management for enriching soil biomass, crop insurance, customised agro-advisories, digital crop surveys, farmer registry, the Krushak Odisha database, adoption of stress-tolerant crop varieties, and digital pest monitoring.
He also pointed out the contingency plan prepared by the Department in collaboration with State-run Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) while stating that it serves as a tool to mitigate the adverse consequences of weather aberrations in the State.
Prof Kremer also lauded the initiatives of the Department and wished for a meaningful partnership for mutual sharing of knowledge and expertise.
Among others, the meeting was also attended by Shubham Saxena, Director of Agriculture and Food Production; Subrat Kumar Panda, Director of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development, the Additional Secretary, senior departmental officers; scientists from OUAT; and members of the Climate Resilience Cell (CRC).