Agriculture and Rural Development

The objective of agriculture and rural development center is to investigate how the developments in information and communication technologies can improve the performance of the services in the areas of agriculture, education, health, leadership training, capacity building, employment generation and so on for a better rural society.

The center is investigating the issues in building ICTs-based advisory systems in the areas agriculture, aqua-culture,livestock, and agromeriology systems for a better farming.
About eSagu Project: Since 2004, by exploiting ICTs, efforts are being made to develop eSagu system to enable Indian farmers to improve the farm productivity under Indian situtaion. The eSagu system is an ICT-based personalized agro-advisory system. ("Sagu" means cultivation in Telugu language.). In this system, high quality personalized (farm-specific) agro-expert advice in a timely manner to each farm at the farmer's door-steps. In e-Sagu, rather than visiting the crop in person, the agricultural scientist delivers the expert advice by getting the crop status in the form of digital photographs and other information. The expert advice is generated by agricultural experts based on the latest information about the crop situation received in the form of both digital photographs and corresponding text. The advice is provided on regular basis from sowing to harvesting which reduces the cost of cultivation and increases the farm productivity as well as quality of agri-commodities. In eSagu, the developments in ICT such as (database, Internet, and digital photography) are extended to improve the performance of agricultural extension services. The impact results show that the farmers are getting additional benfit of Rs 3,820/- by reducing fertilizer and pesticide inputs, and getting extra yield. The eSagu project has won several awards. A not-for-profit Think Tank for Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taipai, Institute of Information Industry, Taiwan, has recognized eSagu system as one of the world wide latest novel internet application of the year 2006. The eSagu project has got the best CSI-Nihilent e-Governance Project Award (overall winner) 2005-06, Manthan award for best e-content development for the year 2007-08 and is a finalist in the Stockholm Challenge Award 2008.

Subareas

1. ICTs in agriculture/aqua extension
2. ICTs in agriculture education
3. ICTs in Livestock Management
4. ICTs in Agrometeriology

Teaching Programmes (associated with Agriculture and Rural Development)

Under-graduate Programmes

1. B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering

Post-graduate Programmes

1. PG-Diploma in Applied Agriculture and Information Technology

Major Funded Projects

1. Investigating eSagu-based-Multi modal service to roleout integrated Agri-services program (eSaguIEMs) (2008-2009) (Media Lab Asia)
2. Data/Information capture dissemination and Discovery solution to farmers in remote areas (CDE-DCD&DS-NOKIA) (2007-2009) (NOKIA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY RESEARCH GRANT)
3. eSagu--- Productization, Optimization, and Developing a Business Model (2006-2008) (Media Lab Asia,eSagu local centres (Public/Private/ NGO),eSagu deployment on ASHWINI and V-Agri by Byrraju Foundation)
4. Building a cost effective and personalized eSagu (Interim Project) (CDE-BCPeSagu-MLA…Extn….) (2006-2006) (Media Lab Asia)
5. Building a Cost-effective and Personalized eSagu (CDE-BCPeSagu-MLA…) (2005-2006) (Media Lab Asia)
6. Web-based Agricultural Expert Advice Dissemination System(WAEADS) (2004-2005) (Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India )
7. Enabling farmers to grow mango and sweet orange crops thru eSagu agro advisory under NREGS - AP (RDHeSaguPilot II) (2009-2010) (PD, DWMA, Mahabubnagar (Under Department of Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh))
8. Enabling farmers to grow mango and sweet orange crops thru eSagu agro advisory under NREGS - AP (RDHeSaguPilot I) (2008-2009) (PD, DWMA, Mahabubnagar (under Department of Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh))
9. Discovering mobile-driven problem capturing and knowledge delivery system for the farmers in remote areas (CDE-DMPC&KDS-NOKIA) (2009-2010) (NOKIA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY GRANT (Donation) GROUP, Nokia India University Relations, Bangalore)
10. eSaguGGK -Deploying eSagu at Gramin Gyan Kendra (GGK)(2010-2011) (2010-2012) (Media Lab Asia)
11. e-Agromet: ICT-enabled Integrated Agro-Meteorological Advisory System (2011-2013) (2011-2013) (Govt. of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences, India Meteorological Deptt., Agromet Service Cell, Lodi Road, New Delhi -110003)
12. Village Level eSagu - A Prototype (2012-2013) (Centre for Good Governance (CGG), Hyderabad)

Achievements

Contests

1. The eSagu (IT-based agriculture advisory system) was awarded diploma for excellence in the use of information technology in the economic development category by Stockholm Challenge 2008.
2. The eSagu system is a finalist in the Stockholm Challenge Award 2008 in the economic development category.
3. Awarded the title “The Fellows of Manthan Award: The e-Content Pathbreakers” in the year 2007 by Digital Empowerment Foundation, New Delhi.
4. The eSagu project is the winner of "The Manthan Award 2007 - India's Best e-Content for Development".
5. e-Sagu project has won the best CSI-Nihilent e-Governance Project Award (overall winner) 2005-06.

Patents

1. Method for on-site analysis (e-Sagu); International application no. PCT/IN 2007/00029; Filing date: 17 July 2007; Applicant: International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad; Status: Under Review (PCT application filed and received the search report).

Others

2. Recognized as a technology by Solution Exchange, a United Nations Initiative for Development Practitioners in India, December 2006. Title: “eSagu: An IT- based Personalized Agro-advisory System for Augmenting Livelihoods of Farmers”, http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/emp/e-discuss/res11070719.pdf.
3. The eSagu (An IT-based Personalized Agro-Advisory System) system has been recognized a one of the world wide latest novel internet application by a not-for-profit Think Tank for Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taipai (Behalf of Institute of Information Industry, Taiwan)
4. The eSagu (An IT-based Personalized Agro-Advisory System) system has been listed as one of the top three e-Governance projects (the other two are BHOOMI and SAMPARK) of India in the video film on “Next e Governance Plan”, November 2005.

Conferences Organized

1. National Workshop on IT-based Personalized Agricultural Extension System (IT-PAES2005), 6 May 2005, Hyderabad, India.
2. The Third National Conference on Agro-Informatics and Precision Agriculture 2012 (AIPA2012) -1-3 August 2012, Hyderabad, India

Faculty

1. P Krishna Reddy (Head)
2. Bhaskar Reddy
3. G Syamasundar Reddy