Govt launches satellite-based farm decision support system

The Indian government on Friday launched a satellite-based agricultural decision support system to provide farmers with critical data for crop management and productivity enhancement.

Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary unveiled the Krishi-Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS), a geospatial platform that will offer real-time information on crop conditions, weather patterns, water resources, and soil health.

"This platform is a new milestone for farmers amid growing climate challenges," Choudhary said at the launch event.

Krishi-DSS, developed using technology similar to the government's Gati Shakti initiative, will utilise satellite imagery to deliver early warnings about potential disasters such as pest attacks and extreme weather events.

The system will aid in crop mapping, monitoring, and promoting crop rotation and diversification. It will provide data on crop patterns across regions and track crop conditions throughout various growth stages.

Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi emphasised the benefits of space technology in agriculture and urged for expanded use of remote sensing across more crop varieties.

ISRO Space Applications Centre Director Nilesh M Desai noted that space technologies have been applied in the farm sector since 1969, stressing the need to extend their use beyond paddy and wheat.

The Krishi-DSS platform has been developed using RISAT-1A and VEDAS technologies from the Department of Space, officials said.