Date:15/03/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/15/stories/2009031555101000.htm
Front Page Harnessing technology for farmers Shanthi Kannan - Photo: Special Arrangement mKrishi - reaching out to farmers. CHENNAI: With technological advancements, the mobile phone has become a multi-functional device. Its applications have gone beyond voice and data communication. Now, thanks to mKrishi, the mobile phone has a new utility. mKrishi, a mobile agro advisory system of the Tata Consultancy Services, is an innovation that allows farmers to send queries to agricultural experts in their local languages through a mobile and receive personalised advice or relevant information in the local language. It also helps literacy-challenged farmers by allowing them to send queries and receive advice and information as 'voice SMS.' Till date, there was no technology that could help a farmer get agricultural information on a personalised basis. TCS Mobile Agro Advisory System has evolved from the efforts of TCS Innovation Labs-Mumbai, which researches into sensor as well as speech recognition. The company has also used an internally developed IVR (interactive voice response) type platform - packet interactive multimedia response (PIM2R) - which uses the inexpensive data channel for transferring rich content. Through mKrishi, farmers can send their queries to a remote expert by their mobile CDMA handsets. Along with their queries, they can also send a photograph of the crop through a camera phone. The information related to crop, soil and micro-environment, gathered by sensors, is sent to experts through an automatic weather station using the cellular network. Farmers receive responses to their queries through the same channel. According to K. Ananth Krishnan, vice-president and chief technology officer, TCS, personalised information and advice are given after farmers submit the soil nutrient and farming pattern data. The application of fertilizer and pesticide is uploaded through a handset application. Thus, the expert has access to the information such as soil, crop, farming practice and so on; mKrishi tries to address the concerns of farmers with the help of CDMA technology. Technology integration The end-to-end mKrishi solution has been developed through the integration of technologies such as sensors, solar power, CDMA modem and CDMA network, GPS, handset with camera, binary runtime environment for wireless to develop multiple applications on the handset, client software (on mobile phone), expert console software, and an engine to assist in displaying mobile screens in Indian languages. At present, the company has tied up with Tata Teleservices to use their CDMA services. Global recognition This application has received international recognition in 2008, such as Golden Peacock Innovation Award, the Wall Street Journal Technology Awards under the wireless category and the Nasscom Innovation Award. The project is being implemented in close cooperation with various eco-partners such as Tata Teleservices, M.S. Swaminathan Foundation, Tata Chemicals & Rallies, National Centre of Grapes, Cotton Research Centre and (National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Limited) NCDEX. According to Mr. Ananth Krishnan, the company is planning a commercial roll-out model, and trying to scale the model to other developing countries. An IP has been generated and TCS has received a provisional patent in India; mKrishi has also been trademarked. TCS plans to scale this model through local franchisee operations which will provide rural youth trained in agriculture a chance to generate income in their hometowns. To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
