ICRISAT revolutionises crop testing with portable technology

These portable sensors allow for quick evaluation of nutrition levels in indigenous food grains right at the farmer's gate or in research fields.

Sangareddy: Researchers at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are leading a transformation in crop testing, combining AI-driven models and pocket-size near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices.

These portable sensors allow for quick evaluation of nutrition levels in indigenous food grains right at the farmer’s gate or in research fields.

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Director General of ICRISAT, Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, championed the integration of this disruptive technology into breeding pipelines and key points of relevant value chains.

Aligned with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) strategy, Dr Hughes foresees the tool as a catalyst for the production of nutrient-dense crops, both in breeding programmes and in farmers’ fields, a crucial element in the global fight against malnutrition, an institute press release said on Thursday.

“This technology is poised to expedite the breeding of nutrient-dense crops while facilitating their integration into the value chain. Our goal with this intervention is to provide quality assurance for the distribution of nutritionally fortified crops so that they reach those who need them most,” said Dr Hughes.

Traditionally, assessing the nutritional quality of grains and feedstock could take a number of weeks, involving manual or partially automated processes and laboratory instruments. In contrast, mobile NIRS devices are more cost-effective and can assess over 150 samples per day per person.

These non-destructive and robust grain quality measuring devices provide timely information on grain composition and can be used to promote quality-based payments in the market—benefiting food producers, grain processing industries, and farmers alike.

“We see the adoption of portable technology for assessing grain quality as an important step in decentralising and democratising market systems, essential to promote the consumption of nutri-cereals.

This transition can facilitate quality-driven payments for farmers while providing quality assurance to health-conscious households moving forward,” noted Dr Sean Mayes, Global Research Director of the Accelerated Crop Improvement Program at ICRISAT.