Author name: farmonaut

Black Citrus Aphid Toxoptera aurantii Caused by insect  Factors –  a- Distortions of twigs and inflorescences and curling, rolling or folding of leaves. b- Leaves turn black in presence of honeydew that is readily colonizes by sooty mold. c- Downgraded quality of fruits and poor vigor in trees. d- Tristeza virus is a possible infection. Hosting body – Citrus and Mango https://indoorgardenook.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bugs-on-indoor-plants/ Identifiable traits It affects all citrus trees in all growth stages. The aphids have long piercing mouthparts which they use to suck the sap on shoot tips and young leaves, which leads to distortions of twigs and inflorescences and the curling, rolling or folding of leaves. They feed on sweet plant phloem, they excrete excess sugar in the form of honeydew. When this honeydew falls onto the leaves, it readily colonized by sooty mold fungi which make the leaves turn black. In result, this limits photosynthesis and has consequences on the vigor of the tree and the quality of the fruits. Tristeza virus is other causing factor which causes damage to citrus trees, which aphids carry. Inducing factors Symptoms are caused by the adults and nymphs of the black citrus aphid Toxoptera aurantii. They often co-infect citrus trees and other cultures together with another related species of aphid T. citicida, commonly known as brown citrus aphid. Adult aphids exist in two forms, either with or without wings. Winged aphids can fly a distance of up to 30 km and are found when they become too numerous or when food supply reduces or becomes limited. They have a dull brownish to black body with a length of about 1.5 mm. These black citrus aphids have a simple life cycle and a high reproduction rate that can lead to rapid and severe infestations. Favourable temperature range for development, survival and reproduction varies from 9.4 to 30.4 ˚C. The honeydew attracts ants, which in turn protect the aphids from natural predators. They are considered a vector of the Tristeza disease of citrus and the zucchini yellow mosaic virus.   Organic remedies Predators include many species of hoverflies, lacewings and ladybirds that can attack aphids at all stages of development. Two commonly used coccinellids against this pest are adults and larvae of Cycloneda sanguinea and Hippodamia convergens. Some culture-specific parasitic wasps may also be available for citrus in the area of interest. The fungus Neozygites fresensii can be important check on aphid populations during humid weather. Ants can be killed with boiling water or with solutions containing natural pyrethrins. Insecticidial solutions can also be used against aphids, for example solutions based on soap, detergent soap, neem or chilli extracts. Chemical remedies If available, always consider an integrated approach with preventive measures together with biological treatments. Several insecticides can be used to control aphids but their effectiveness depends on a timely application, for example before the leaves curl or populations become too large. Commercial products containing petroleum oil can be sprayed on the underside of leaves, so that they directly contact the aphids. Synthetic pyrethroids are also likely to be effective against aphids and ants, but can have a negative impact on natural enemies, too.  Extra remediesSelect seeds from healthy plants or from certified sources. If possible, plant in an area free of this pest, and isolated geographically. Keep monitoring fields regularly to assess the incidence of a disease or pest and determine their severity. Remove infected plant parts or hand-pick the aphids manually. Check weeds in and around the fields. Do not over-water or over-fertilize. Control ant populations that protect aphids with sticky bands or nets. Do not transport citrus trees between different farms or areas. Control the use of pesticides, as those can affect negatively the populations of beneficial insects. Prune the branches of your trees or remove the bottom leaves or your plants to favour the ventilation of the canopy. We will keep posting about any such informative information on to our blogs, to help as many people as possible. Farmonaut is built upon a vision to bridge the technological gap between farmers and strives to bring state-of-the-art technologies in the hands of each and every farmer. For any queries/suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]. We have some more interesting articles coming up soon. Stay tuned! Wait!!

Voice-Text Based Crop Issue Identification In India, several thousand tonnes of crop gets destroyed every year due to incorrect usage of pesticides, insecticides, plant growth regulators etc. Whenever there is a disease outbreak in a farmer’s field, the first person whom they usually look forward to is the local vendor from whom they purchase their farming products like seeds, spraying equipments etc. In India, officially you need to have at least a certain relevant degree before you can start your own fertilizer shop. However, these norms are hardly practiced. These local vendors have their own interest in mind, since they need to sell the products of the companies from whom they purchase the chemicals in bulk.  Thus, more often than not, with no practical scientific knowledge, they end up suggesting completely incorrect solutions to the farmer. One of the major aims of Farmonaut is to help farmers figure out what the problem is with their crop, and also provide government approved solutions for the problems identified by our system. Though the government has released a scientifically approved database, however the database is highly user inaccessible. The government database is in the form of document file of hundreds of pages. It is really unreasonable to expect a farmer to download this large document and scroll through hundreds of pages to identify what the potential problem is with their crop. At Farmonaut, the first thing we did is to sanitize this government approved database, and present it to the farmers in a user-friendly form. The segregated database is accessible through our android app and contains government approved information about 100+ crops, 300+ problems and 150+ chemicals (pesticides, insecticides, plant growth regulators etc.). The database includes very specific details of chemical usage such as Quantity, Formulation (g/ml)% and Dilution in water (L). Read the following article to know in-depth about the Farmonaut Database: https://farmonaut.com/blogs/farming-blogs/why-farmonaut-database-is-one-of-the-most-trusted-database/ At Farmonaut, we jumped one step ahead and added another layer of user friendliness to access our database. We have designed a system which is capable of identifying potential problems with a farmer’s crop by just their voice or text explanation. The voice-text based crop issue identification system is available on our Android app. A farmer can simply explain what issues he/she is facing with his crop and our system in real-time will identify the potential problem with the crop as well as the government approved solutions attached with the results as well. Given the vastness of India and a large number of languages being spoken in the Indian subcontinent, we can not expect our system to work only in one specific language. Hence, we have created our system to work in more than 50 languages. The farmers can ask their problems in a language of their choice and can still get government approved solutions in real time. The following section below shows a few examples of how Farmonaut’s voice-text based crop issue identification system works. The Voice-text based crop issue identification system works as a chat bot, wherein farmers can ask for the solution to their problems just like someone will message another user on a messaging service. The farmer can simply type their query into the text box or can speak about their query by clicking on the speech button. Once the speech of the farmer is finished or if farmer clicks on the send button after his text information about the problem is ready, the system will process their speech/text to identify the crop as well the problem being faced by the farmer. Upon correct identification of the problem, the system will return all the government approved solutions from which the farmer can select one of his choice. For example, in the case above, the Farmer has asked in hindi the following query: Asked Query: आम की फसल की उपज बढ़ाने के कुछ उपाय बताइये| अभी एकदम नयी फसल है| Our system identifies within seconds that the user is looking for ways to enhance yield of their mango crop and hence, provides all the government approved solutions to the user about chemicals measures to be used to enhance the yield of his/her mango produce. Some other examples of the Voice-text Based Crop Issue Identification queries are listed below. There may be times when the voice-text based crop issue identification system is not able to identify the problem properly. There are 4 such cases which we want to highlight. Case 1: When our system has correctly identified the crop as well as the problem being faced by the crop, the system still gives the farmer an option to post his query on to the discussion forum to further proof check about his problem from the community. Case 2:  When our system has correctly identified the crop of the query but not problem, the farmer can post this unsuccessful query onto the discussion forum to get remedies from the farming community itself. Case 3: When our system has not been able to identify both crop as well as the problem, and if the farmer feels that his/her query was correct, they can post this voice-text crop issue identification query on to the discussion forum to get remedies from the farming community. A detailed article about the discussion forum and Farmonaut database will be available soon. The app is available for android on Google PlayStore:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farmonaut.android We will keep posting about any such informative information on to our blogs, to help as many people as possible. Farmonaut is built upon a vision to bridge the technological gap between farmers and strives to bring state-of-the-art technologies in the hands of each and every farmer. For any queries/suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]. We have some more interesting articles coming up soon. Stay tuned! Wait!!

Aphids Aphids basically belong to Aphidoidea Family. They are small sap-sucking  insects like greenfly and blackfly.  However, they are not harmful to crops in early stage or in small or moderate numbers. Aphid’s infest severe damage to leaves and shoots and also causes damage to plant growth. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. They bring additional infections as their honeydew secrete and also transmit viruses from one plant to another over a prolonged period. Hosts: Aphids has a vast list of plants which it affects. Few of them are Almond, apple, cabbage, cotton, garlic, grape, lettuce, maize, mango, millet etc. They are very small in size (0.5 mm to 2 mm) and delicate bodied insects with long legs and antennae. They are found in multiple colours like brown, yellow, red or black depending on which species they belong to. They grow underside clusters of young leaves and shoot tips. They suck out fluids from the tissues with the help of their long mouth parts to tender them.  In late spring or early summer, their invasion slows down as their population diminishes naturally due to climate change and increase in natural enemies. Several other species carry plant viruses which can lead to the development of other forms of diseases. Biological remedies Few predators are there which can help in controlling the population of aphids are ladybugs, lacewings, soldier beetles and parasitoid wasps. These natural killers of aphids will take care of the sucking insects in field conditions. You can use soft insecticidal soap solution or solutions depending on plant oils in case of mild infestation. Aphids are very sensitive to fungal diseases when it is humid around them. A simple spray of water can remove them from infected plants.   Chemical methods of control Always try to consider biological treatments if available instead of approaching for chemical solutions straightaway. Stem application with flonicamid and water @ 1:20 ratio at 30, 45, 60 days after sowing (DAS) can be planned.   Fipronil 2ml or thiamethoxam @ 0.2g or flonicamid @ 0.3g or acetamiprid @ 0.2g (per liter of water) can also be used as chemical composition in prevention against aphids. We will keep posting about any such informative information on to our blogs, to help as many people as possible. Farmonaut is built upon a vision to bridge the technological gap between farmers and strives to bring state-of-the-art technologies in the hands of each and every farmer. For any queries/suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]. We have some more interesting articles coming up soon. Stay tuned! Wait!!

Remote Sensing Blogs Normalized Difference Vegetation Index – NDVI It has been quite a long time since scientists and agronomists are using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to monitor and examine health of crops. The extent and benefits of NDVI have increased manifold with so many earth mapping satellites being launched every year to monitor earth’s surface in different wavelengths. Applications of Satellite Imagery Bands - Part 1: Coastal Aerosol (B1), Blue (B2), Green (B3), and Red (B4) Since water absorbs and scatters light, oceans and lakes tend to look dark or lack detail on True color satellite images, especially in the murky waters near coastlines. Coastal Aerosol (B1) imagery allows for coastal water and ocean color observation, as it reflects blues and violets, and displays subtle differences in the color of water. Read More… Applications of Satellite Imagery Bands — Part 2: Vegetation Red Edge (B5, B6, B7, B8A) The Red Edge band is located between the Red band (B4) and the NIR band (B8), without overlap. In a typical spectral response of green vegetation, the Red Edge band covers the portion of the spectrum where reflectance drastically increases from the red towards the NIR regions. Read More… Applications of Satellite Imagery Bands — Part 3: Near Infrared (B8), Water Vapor (B9), and Shortwave Infrared (B10, B11, B12) Near Infrared images can help us identify and monitor a plant’s health. At Farmonaut, we have developed our own Crop Health Monitoring system which processes Near Infrared Imagery in combination with several other spectral images to provide a health color-map of an agricultural land. Read More… Impact Analysis of Volcano-Induced-Tsunami in Indonesia Using Farmonaut​ A tsunami swept across Indonesia’s islands of Sumatra and Java the night of December 22, just before 9:30 p.m. local time. There was no notice for the wall of water, which left devastation in its wake. At least 400 are confirmed to be dead and more than 800 are injured. Because of such a large impact of this event, we wanted to analyze the extent of devastation in the coastal region of the affected areas. Read More… Analyzing Water Level of Lakes of Udaipur (India) Using Farmonaut To understand how the condition of lakes change over a course of a year, we shifted our focus to some of the famous lakes in India. Udaipur is known for its beautiful lakes, so we decided to analyze four famous lakes of udaipur, namely: Dudh Talai, Lake Pichola, Swaroop Sagar and, Fateh Sagar Lake. Read More… Mapping Volcanic Activity Using Farmonaut​ We mapped Mount Veniaminof’s volcanic activity using the short wave infrared satellite imagery accessed through our system. Recently, Mount Veniaminof had been in the news for it’s extreme volcanic activity wherein it ended up spewing ash as high as three miles in the air. The activity was so intense, that the region near it was declared as a no-fly zone. Read More… Time Lapse of Californian Fire The spread and extent of fire in California is massive and devastating. So, we decide to have a look on the imagery of the last month. The spread and extent of fire in California is massive and devastating. So, we decide to have a look on the imagery of the last month over a region in California and have created a Time Lapse of the same. Read More… Satellite Based Crop Health Monitoring Farmonaut provides satellite based crop health monitoring system, through which farmers can select their field and identify the regions of the field at which the crop growth is not normal. Upon identifying that region of their fields, they can simply pay a visit to that part of the field and identify if the problem has already started. If it has not, the farmer can take preventive remedies by applying more fertilizers, plant growth regulators etc. If the problem has already started, they can simply explain their problem to Farmonaut’s crop issue identification system and get real-time govt. approved remedies. Read More…

Farming Blogs

Alternaria Blight The symptoms of Alternaria blight usually occur in summer and are depicted by the presence of angular or circular spots of around 4 to 7 mm in diameter. In some bad cases, the spot become 3 cm in diameter. Black lesions are also present on leaves. Leaves can wither and fall on severe infestation. Minute brown or black spots can appear on immature fruits. The spots are about 3 mm in diameter and are surrounded by a red tint on mature fruits. This infection reduces the quality of the produce.  The symptoms arise are due to a group of three different fungi of alternaria. During favorable conditions, they come out of hibernation from the soil and produce spores that are carried by the rain or wind. Nutrient deficiency, high humidity, high temperatures, dew formation and sunny days are some of the important factors that are responsible for the development of alternaria.  Some of the characteristics of alternaria can be confused with that of Botryosphaeria dothidea. Rub the leaves to tell if the late blight is caused by alternaria alternata or not. Biological Remedies Apply a paste of garlic on the leaves and fruits for biological control . You can also use solutions based on Bacillus subtilis which is found to be lethal to fungus. One should always start treatment against this disease before the fruits get ripened in the early summer.   Chemical Methods of Control Product enriched with entities such as copper, maneb, thiophanate-methyl are found to be effective in curing alternaria. The timing of the application of the treatment, age of the tree, and the quantity of the dose determine the effectiveness of the treatment. To promote aeration of plantation, one must not plant the trees closely. Proper care should be taken to remove weeds from the field. As soon as the first symptoms are visible, one must cut the affected parts and burn them. At the time of infancy, prune the trees to get fully aerated fields.During fruit ripening, one must not irrigate the fields using sprinklers. Once the crop is cut from the field, destroy the remaining harvest by burning it. Above all try not to compost parts of these plants as they may carry over this disease to another season. We will keep posting about any such informative information on to our blogs, to help as many people as possible. Farmonaut is built upon a vision to bridge the technological gap between farmers and strives to bring state-of-the-art technologies in the hands of each and every farmer. For any queries/suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]. We have some more interesting articles coming up soon. Stay tuned! Wait!!

Achaea Janata – Castor Semilooper Castor Semilooper (achaea janata) is widely distributed throughout India. Though castor is the principal host plant for them, it has also been found to be predating on tea, sugarcane, pomegranate, banana, rose, grape fruits, citrus etc. Occurence From field observations it is identified that the castor semilooper moths are found after the showers in the month of may, and the eggs are found only in the month of June/July. Extent of Damage The first and early second instar semiloopers scrape the epidermis of the leaf, whereas the late second instar larvae make holes, and fourth and the fifth instar larvae defoliate the whole plant in case of heavy infestation. The proboscis of the adult is adapted for piercing and sucking the juice of fruits. The adult semiloopers create large patches of decay in ripe banana, create brown circular area surrounding the puncture, and make them prematurely fall and rot. Biology a. Egg Freshly laid eggs range in size from 0.85 mm to 0.9 mm in diameter and are light green in color and dome shaped with ridges all around and the lower surface is concave. b. 1st instar The 1st instar semilooper is transparent in color with a half green anterior. It measures around 0.8 cm. The duration of this stage lasts from 2 to 3 days. c. Molting The freshly molted semilooper has tender and pale skin and after molting, the larva eats its casted skin. d. 2nd instar The 2nd instar semilooper measures 0.65 to 0.87 cm and is covered with white powdery substance with black head. e. Adult Moth Adult moths are light brown and even sometimes deep grey in color with white and brown patches on the wings. They measure around 2.45 cm in length and 5.6 cm in wing  span. Adult moths  have long proboscis through which they suck the fruit juice.   Natural enemies The hymenopteran egg parasite of genus Telenomus is observed to keep castor semilooper in control. Similarly, branconid parasite Microplitis ephiusae is observed to be the natural control of the larvae. Field application of Bacillus thuringiensis spores have been found to be extremely lethal to the castor semilooper larvae. Chemical Control Measures 1. Malathion can be sprayed thrice from flowering at three weeks interval. If a large number of semiloopers are observed, then spray 2ml/l of chloropyriphos in water. Other Preventive Measures It is recommended to build open space for birds which can feed on larvae. Once the harvest is ready, till the land to expose the semiloopers to predators. We will keep posting about any such informative information on to our blogs, to help as many people as possible. Farmonaut is built upon a vision to bridge the technological gap between farmers and strives to bring state-of-the-art technologies in the hands of each and every farmer. For any queries/suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]. We have some more interesting articles coming up soon. Stay tuned! Wait!!  

Friday, 23 Feb 2024 SPREADING  SUCCESS  IN COTTON FIELDS WITH REINHART SINCE 1788 Introduction Farmonaut’s collaboration with Reinhart in cotton fields has brought about a significant transformation in agricultural practices. By leveraging advanced technology and fostering collaboration, we have grown more cotton and do it more efficiently. Reinhart shared positive feedback about teaming up with Farmonaut in the cottonfields. It’s fascinating to hear how this partnership is making farming better. Let’s take a closer look and see how Reinhart’s success story, together with Farmonaut, is changing the cotton industry and positively impacting businesses and farmers’ lives Worked Across 22 District of Telangana We worked across 22 districts of Telangana for Reinhart, a global merchant specializing in cotton and agricultural products with a long history dating back to 1788. Reinhart has been a major player in the global cotton trade for over two hundred years. This partnership represents a significant advancement in improving efficiency and accuracy in both cotton farming and trading. Shared Positive Reviews Accurate Data The accuracy rate exceeds 90% compared to government and other sources. Timely Alerts Timely alert about crop stress and its impact on production. Insightful Comparisons Comparison with the previous year’s data proved helpful. Positive Feedback Overall satisfaction with the provided information. Innovating Cotton Farming with Farmonaut: Farmonaut introduces transformative solutions, empowering cotton industry with actionable insights to navigate obstacles and achieve greater success. Here’s how Farmonaut addresses key challenges in the cotton industry: 1. Understanding Expected Cotton Acreage and yield: Farmonaut utilizes machine learning algorithms for precise prediction of cotton yield and estimation of acreage. It analyzes vast datasets, incorporating historical crop performance and environmental variables. The platform offers accurate insights to optimize cultivation practices for cotton farming. Benefit from improved resource allocation, risk management, and sustainability in crop production. 2. Supply Chain Requirements: Farmonaut analyzes supply chain management issues such as transportation, storage, and distribution of cotton. It forecasts cotton demand accurately to ensure sufficient supply chain readiness. Farmonaut optimizes transportation routes to minimize costs and maximize efficiency. The platform recommends storage solutions tailored to the specific needs of cotton farmers. It streamlines distribution channels, ensuring timely delivery and maximizing market reach. 3. RATES Production Costs: Property taxes contribute to overall production expenses, including land acquisition and maintenance. Government Policies: Changes in property tax regulations necessitate proactive adjustments to business strategies for cotton producers. Conclusion Farmonaut and Reinhart’s partnership has changed the way the cotton industry works. With accurate advice, smart use of data, and a focus on keeping crops healthy, we’re helping farmers grow better cotton and making a real difference in the world of agriculture.

Effortless Field Mapping with FARMONAUT’S AI BOUNDARY DETECTION Lead the Way Introduction We understand the significance of supporting farmers and addressing their needs. We recognize the daily challenges faced by farmers and are dedicated to providing solutions to simplify their lives. Farmonaut’s product has solution that provides farmers with a seamless solution for mapping their farms. By simply inputting one coordinate, the system automates the entire mapping process, eliminating the need for manual efforts. Challenges Faced by Farmers Uncertainty regarding land boundaries Managing large-scale operations involving multiple neighboring farms Time-consuming manual process, especially for large farms. Automated Farm Mapping with us Our system offers farmers a hassle-free solution for mapping your farms. With just one coordinate input, the system automates the mapping process, eliminating the need for manual efforts. Improving Efficiency We increase overall farm management efficiency, allowing farmers to focus on other critical tasks. Improving Efficiency We increase overall farm management efficiency, allowing farmers to focus on other critical tasks. Conclusion Farmonaut’s automated farm mapping feature transforms farm management with its exceptional efficiency, accuracy, and convenience. This innovative solution simplifies tasks, saves time and resources, and offers reliable insights into farm layout, empowering farmers to make informed decisions and boost productivity.

Plant Issues

Angular Leaf Spot Angular Leaf Spots are very easy to  distinguish since the plants suffering from this develop leaf spots that follow leaf veins. It is caused by bacteria such as Pseudomonas syringae (cucurbits) and Xanthomonas fragariae (strawberries) that survive in seeds and plant debris. Symptoms Once water soaked-spots appear on leaves, they spread rapidly when conditions get moist and ambient temperature is around 24-28 degree celcius. These spots expands upto a point they fill the area between leaf veins completely, but do not cross each other. Occasionally, older spots dry out and tear apart, leaving a hole at its place.  On fruits, the spots appear as perfectly circular and water soaked and comparatively smaller than those on the leaves. The spots become powdery white and may crack the fruit open once the disease spreads. This contaminates fruits and causes fruit rot. Biological Remedies Use garlic solutions and hot water for around 30 minutes on infected seeding material. Use dehumidifiers in greenhouses to control night time humidity. It has also been found out that Pentaphage is lethal to Pseudomonas syringae, and organic copper fnngicides can slow the spread of the disease. Chemical Control Measures Pesticides containing copper hydroxide are most effective when the temperature is above 24 degree celcuis and the foliage is wet and are sprayed on a weekly basis. It is NOT recommended to spray the field on a hot day since it can seriously harm the plants. Other Preventive Measures Use furrow irrigation instead of sprinklers and avoid overwatering the field. Furthermore, do not sow crops in the field that have had cucurbits for at least 2 years. We will keep posting about any such informative information on to our blogs, to help as many people as possible. Farmonaut is built upon a vision to bridge the technological gap between farmers and strives to bring state-of-the-art technologies in the hands of each and every farmer. For any queries/suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]. We have some more interesting articles coming up soon. Stay tuned! Wait!! Before that…