Google.Org has awarded the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI) a grant of $1 million to develop AI-powered solutions in the agriculture sector.
According to a Wadhwani AI statement, the funding will be used to provide farmers with localized, accurate, and timely information on weather and crops. In 2019, Wadhwani AI received a $2 million grant from Google.org to support its CottonAce AI-powered pest management solution.
Wadhwani AI had received a USD 2 million grant from Google.org in 2019 to support the CottonAce AI-powered pest management solution. The CottonAce app helps farmers to identify the types of pests on their farms, provides early warnings and alerts to farmers, and enables them to take steps to combat rodents and ensure a healthy crop yield with an easy-to-use, multilingual interface. The benefits directly related to the solution, the adoption of CottonAce over the past few years has resulted in a greater awareness of trap-based pest management, and farmers becoming more familiar with a technology-based approach to agriculture.
Manish Gupta, Research Director, Google Research India said, “With roughly half of India’s population dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, this is a sector where technological advancements can lead to pervasive benefits”.