Krishi-Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS)

Name of the platform

Krishi-Decision Support System(Krishi-DSS).

Type

Geo-spatial platform.

Developed by

Jointly  by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Space.

Objective

To  support comprehensive agricultural management.

Key features

Crop mapping and monitoring: understand cropping patterns by analysing parcel-level crop maps over the different years.

Helps in understanding crop rotation practices and promotes sustainable agriculture by encouraging the cultivation of diverse crops.

Drought monitoring:  Real-time information on various indicators i.e soil moisture, water storages, crop condition, dry spells.

Field parcel segmentation: Help in understanding each parcels unique needs, cropping patterns for targeted interventions.

One nation-one soil information system:  Soil type, soil pH, soil health.

Data  library of Krishi-DSS: Ground truth data and spectral libraries for different crops to the researchers and industry.

Helps in flood impact assessment to Crop insurance solutions.

Early disaster warning like Pest attack, Heavy rain, Hail storm

Use of Space Technology in Agriculture Sector.

Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre,  established in 2012, for operationalisation of the space technology developed in the Indian Space Research Organization, for crop production  forecasting.

Centre called Soil and Land Use Survey of India, which uses satellite data for soil resources mapping.

Currently, the Department of Agriculture is using space technology for its various programmes/ areas, such as: 

Forecasting Agricultural Output using Space.

Agro-meteorology and Land-based Observations (FASAL) project.

Coordinated programame on Horticulture Assessment and Management using geoiNformatics (CHAMAN)  project.

National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS).

Rice-Fallow Area Mapping and intensification.

Geo tagging of infrastructure and assets created under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana,  and Crop Insurance.

KISAN [C(K)rop Insurance using Space technology And geoiNformatcs] project:   The project envisaged use of high-resolution remote sensing data for optimum crop cutting experiment planning and improving yield estimation.    

IN-SPACe:  A pivotal organization in India's space sector, is transforming agriculture by encouraging the adoption of space technology. This includes the use of satellites for detailed earth observation, enabling precise monitoring and management of agricultural activities.

Through initiatives like seed fund schemes, IN-SPACe is actively supporting startups that aim to utilize space data and technologies like drones to increase crop yields, improve resource management, and reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q. Examine how can India’s farm sector benefit from space research and technologies. 150 words.