Goi Sanctions Rs 42-Cr Agri-Excellence Project To SKUAST-K

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- Government of India, in a landmark decision, has approved Rs 42-crore Agri-Excellence program on 'Application of Electronics and ICT in Himalayan Region Crop Management' as a consortium project with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir as a nodal agency.

The project sanctioned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for a period of four years, has some prestigious institutions of the country: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (c-DAC) Kolkatta and Mohali, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) Durgapur and Ludhiana, and Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) Bangalore, as partners.

The project will focus on Saffron, walnut and apple which are major contributors to the bioeconomy of J&K.

With Agri Excellence Program, MeitY is working for the first time with any agricultural university in the country. The project has been granted to SKUAST-K for its bold initiative of establishing the full-fledged Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML), and instituting a 4-year BTech Program on AI in Agriculture jointly with IIT Mandi.

Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, said this groundbreaking mega project is going to revolutionize the Agriculture in the Himalayan region through the integration of advanced electronics, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture technologies. The project shall also provide a vibrant platform for the students to innovate and peruse their projects with access to the most advanced facilities and expertise across 5 partner institutes, he added.

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While congratulating Prof Syed Zameer Hussain, Principal Investigator along with Co-PIs and other Scientists of the university for bagging this project, the Vice Chancellor thanked Secretary MeitY Shri S Krishanan for approving it and reposing trust in SKUAST-K.

For saffron, robotic solutions will be developed for weed management, saffron harvesting and stigma separation. In addition, a viable and replicable model for soilless cultivation of saffron will be developed. For walnuts a smart harvester, advanced AI guided solutions for segregating walnuts on the basis of shell thickness/wholesomeness and rapid aflatoxin detection solutions shall be developed. For apples non-invasive solution for detecting internal quality defects shall be developed. Hackathons and Grand challenges related to scope and application of electronics and ICT for Himalayan crop management shall also be conducted. The outcome of this project is expected to give impetus to Horticultural sector of J&K and will boost the production, quality, market competitiveness and export potential saffron, apple and walnuts.

With this initiative, SKUAST-K continues to pave the way for smart, sustainable, and technology-driven agricultural advancements in the Himalayan region, promising a transformative impact on farmers and the agricultural sector at large.

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