In a significant step towards bolstering agricultural productivity in India, the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) was launched a few days ago, a collaborative initiative by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW), ICAR-NCIPM, ICAR-IASRI, PEAT INC, and AI-Wadhwani. This platform leverages cutting-edge digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), smartphones, and web-based tools, to streamline and accelerate the process of pest identification and provide timely, expert-driven pest surveillance advice to farmers across the country.
The AI-based NPSS platform aims to connect farmers with agricultural researchers, helping them adopt a scientific approach to managing insect pests while reducing their reliance on pesticide retailers. Effective pest management is one of the major challenges that hinder production in farmers' fields, making timely expert support and regular pest population monitoring essential.
State agencies are urged to provide this support, regularly monitor pest populations, and advise farmers on effective and timely pest mitigation measures. Wide-area pest surveillance and monitoring, integral to Integrated Pest Management (IPM), are key to preventing epidemic pest situations by detecting damage before pest populations become unmanageable.
The NPSS initiative is set to revolutionize pest management in Indian agriculture, providing farmers with timely access to expert advice and supporting sustainable farming practices.
