Automated disease detection - cutting edge technology available for farmers in India

摘要

Agricultural production all around the world faces major challenges to feed the ever growing population while utilizing natural resources in a sustainable way. Droughts, other effects of climate change, and the demands of global food markets continuously pose new challenges to farmers. For example, many farmers have switched from traditionally grown cultivars to cash crops to secure their livelihoods. Other farmers havestarted using crop cultivars that were developed in response to changed weather conditions or nutrient supply, and these cultivars have different cultivation requirements than traditional cultivars. Plant protection systems are stretched to their limit to alleviate crop production losses. Beyond that, whole ecosystems are changing because of genetic modifications, which have resulted in formerly minor pests becoming major pests andvice versa (Berge and Ricroch, 2010). These changes demand the blending of traditional, established agricultural knowledge with new technologies and latest scientific insights.