The picturesque tea gardens of Peerumade are embracing a groundbreaking, tech-driven strategy to combat the notorious tea mosquito bug (TMB). In an innovative move, the United Planters’ Association of Southern India’s (UPASI) Tea Research Foundation has partnered with C-DAC Kolkata and IIT Kharagpur. Together, they are launching an AI-powered aerial imaging project designed to detect pest infestations early, preventing widespread damage.
First identified in central Travancore in 1922, the tea mosquito bug continues to pose a significant threat to the region’s tea plantations, jeopardizing both crop yields and the livelihoods of farmers, as explained by Sham Kumar, an advisory officer from UPASI Vandiperiyar.
“This vital initiative is financially supported by the National Tea Research Foundation, operating under the Central government,” Mr. Kumar states. “While the initial pilot phase focuses intently on controlling the TMB, there are ambitious plans to extend this advanced technology to tackle other destructive tea pests in subsequent stages.”
He further elaborates, “The core of this project lies in leveraging artificial intelligence and drone-based imaging. This combination allows us to identify pest attacks at their nascent stages, ensuring proactive and effective intervention. Our immediate goal is TMB control, but we envision a broader application to numerous other tea pests.”
Experts confirm that C-DAC, working hand-in-hand with the Tea Research Foundation, has successfully developed ‘PEST Track’. This cutting-edge AI-driven solution is specifically tailored for detecting the TMB, scientifically known as Helopeltis theivora. PEST Track seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct extensive and highly accurate surveillance across vast tea plantations. These UAVs, equipped with sophisticated RGB cameras, capture detailed canopy-level imagery under meticulously optimized flight conditions, significantly boosting both coverage and detection precision.
A sophisticated deep learning-based object detection model has been deployed to ensure precise identification of the TMB within the plantations. To further empower targeted pesticide application, a dedicated mobile application has been created. This app utilizes georeferenced data derived from the pest-infested images, guiding users directly to the affected zones within the field and facilitating highly selective and efficient pesticide spraying.
Adding another layer of innovation, IIT Kharagpur, in collaboration with the Tea Research Foundation, has developed ‘Ti Mapper’. This new web-based decision support tool is invaluable for planters, enabling them to effectively detect and map TMB infestations. Ti Mapper generates detailed infestation contour maps, accurately pinpointing specific problem areas for precise and efficient pesticide treatment.
This advanced AI-based methodology is poised to be a transformative force for the tea industry. It promises a remarkably cost-effective and scientifically sound approach to closely monitor pest outbreaks, thereby fostering more sustainable and robust tea production practices.
To ensure widespread adoption and understanding, a user meet-cum-awareness workshop is scheduled to take place at Vandiperiyar this Wednesday, offering a practical demonstration of this cutting-edge technology.