BRRI launches Rice Solution mobile app

Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has launched a sensor-based mobile application that will help farmers identify plant diseases via pictures.

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak inaugurated the application during the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop at BRRI headquarters in Gazipur on Saturday.

The farmer-friendly app was developed by One ICT under the supervision of BRRI’s ICT cell under a project of the Information and Communication Technology Division.

The app will automatically diagnose the disease or infestation of the paddy and provide management advice based on the accuracy rate, if images or information are provided as input through the app.

The technology uses sensor-based, machine-learning artificial intelligence to diagnose diseases, saving the farmers’ time and crop loss.

At the inaugural ceremony, the agriculture minister said 10-18 per cent of the total crop cultivation is wasted in the production stage due to diseases and insect infestations.

“Due to a lack of proper knowledge on pest control, farmers are deprived of their desired yield. This app will help the farmers, as well as the agriculturists to determine region-based diseases and solutions to them,” he said, adding that the app will also serve as a helpful tool for decision-making at the policy-making level besides providing assistance to scientists in their research activities.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam in his speech as the special guest at the workshop, said the new app will initiate the concept of implementation of precision agriculture by connecting the local knowledge of the farmers and modern technology.

It is to be noted that under the same project, a mobile app called Rice Profile is under development by BRRI. This app is to be used to determine suitable rice varieties nationwide.