Rivulis Irrigation India, which is part of the global micro irrigation firm Rivulis Israel on Thursday (29th August 2019), announced launch of Manna, a satellite-based software solution for irrigation in the country.
Manna Irrigation Intelligence offers site-specific irrigation advice or suggestions at the touch of a button. Manna, which is based on proprietary satellite models & sensor-free approach, provides growers with a high-resolution, integrated view of the entire farm rather than reading from isolated locations.
Rivulis, in the last three years, has brought drip irrigation technology in the fields of more than 50,000 farmers.
It is important to mention that before downloading the Manna app, farmers have to provide the GPS location of their field, condition of soil, details on crop to be grown & date of sowing. Based on these details and India Meteorological Department’s weather forecast, the app will suggest the quantum of water to be released in the field every week after considering the moisture & expected rainfall in the area. It also gives real-time crop monitoring maps indicating vegetation level, vegetation & wetness variability map.
Farmers have to give Rs. 600 / annum to use this app while their cost saving will involve less water usage, besides lower electricity & diesel expenses.
The app is currently available in Hindi & Marathi only but soon it will be launched in Gujarati and other languages also. Rivulis is mainly targeting farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu focusing on crops like sugarcane, cotton, tomatoes, pomegranate and grapes.
Director of Rivulis India & Israel, Sudhir Mehta said due to limitation on land holdings, most of the growers have not invested in technology in cultivation and depend majorly on gut feeling, especially in areas of irrigation & water management. The company has already approached the Union Ministry of Agriculture and is keen to collaborate with different State governments to help them in monitoring of water usage & conservation, Mehta said.
