ICRISAT’s AI-based Agromet Advisory Service

ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has recently launched an AI-based Agromet Advisory Service to assist farmers with timely, data-driven weather and climate insights.

What is the AI-based Agromet Advisory Service?

This service integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to provide real-time, personalized climate advisories to farmers, helping them make informed decisions in the face of increasing climate variability. Key aspects include:

• Personalized Climate Insights: Farmers will receive hyper-local, actionable weather and climate information tailored to their specific location and farming practices. This allows farmers to make data-driven decisions about crucial aspects of farming such as:

  • Sowing schedules

  • Irrigation requirements

  • Pest and disease management

• User-Friendly Delivery: The advisories are delivered through accessible digital channels, notably via an AI-powered WhatsApp bot, making it easy for farmers—particularly in remote areas—to access this valuable information.

• Government Support: The initiative is supported under the Government of India’s Monsoon Mission III, which aims to enhance the resilience of India’s farming communities to changing weather patterns.

Key Features of the Agromet Advisory Service

• Data-Driven Decisions: By leveraging AI and machine learning, the service converts complex meteorological data into practical, user-friendly recommendations, aiding farmers in making real-time decisions about critical agricultural practices.

• Targeting Smallholder Farmers: The primary beneficiaries of this initiative are smallholder farmers, who often lack access to timely weather updates or expert agricultural guidance.

• Phase-wise Implementation: Initially rolled out in Maharashtra, the advisory service will be tested and refined through the ICAR’s Agro-Meteorological Field Units (AMFUs) before expanding across the country and potentially to other countries in South Asia.

• Enhanced Digital Tools: The initiative is an upgrade to the Intelligent Systems Advisory Tool (iSAT), which was previously piloted during Monsoon Mission II. iSAT, initially designed to convert complex data into agronomic advisories, is now evolving into a full-fledged AI-powered tool under this new initiative.

Support and Collaboration

The ICRISAT project is backed by key national and international organizations, including:

• ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research): Leading the collaboration.

• CRIDA-ICAR (Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture)

• ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute)

• IITM (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology)

• IMD (Indian Meteorological Department)

These institutions will work together to ensure that the advisories are based on the latest scientific data and best practices in agronomy and meteorology.

Conclusion

This initiative represents a significant step towards integrating AI and digital tools in agriculture to address the challenges posed by climate change. By providing smallholder farmers with timely, actionable advice, ICRISAT’s Agromet Advisory Service promises to improve agricultural productivity and resilience, especially in the context of the increasingly erratic monsoon patterns and climate extremes.