Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will launch an interactive mobile app, ‘Mannu,’ designed by the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management- Kerala (IIITM-K) to help farmers check the suitability of a desired crop, at Kanakakunnu Palace here on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
The farmer-friendly spatially enabled app, developed for the Soil Survey Department, not only helps in checking the suitability of a specific crop, but could also recommend the suitability of the farm, type of fertilizer, quantity, and interval of application for the specified crop for a specified location.
By using the app, farmers get authentic information about the status of 20 soil nutrients for any location. Based on the soil nutrient status, the app suggests the suitable crop for the selected geographic location.
Initially, it will be launched for Varavoor Panchayat in Thrissur district. A scaled-up version of the app, with soil information for the entire State and recommendations for all the crops, will be made available for the farmers by the end of 2018.