Why In News?

NIT Rourkela, ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre, and Tea Board India have signed a tripartite agreement to launch Project Chayankan for AI-based geospatial monitoring of tea plantations.

What is Project Chayankan?

Project Chayankan (Comprehensive AI-based Geospatial Data Analytics for Tea Plantation Monitoring) is a research and development initiative designed to digitize, monitor, and optimize tea plantation ecosystems.

The project spans a three-year implementation lifecycle (2026–2029), deploying pilots across major tea-growing belts in Assam, West Bengal (Darjeeling and Dooars), and the Nilgiris in South India.

Objectives 

  • Automated Spatial Mapping: Maps tea estate boundaries, distinguishing large estates from Small Tea Growers (STGs).

  • Early Crop Stress Detection: Flags moisture stress, waterlogging, nutrient gaps, and slope erosion.

  • Pest and Disease Forecasting: Predicts pest outbreaks (tea mosquito bug, red spider mite) and fungal diseases early.

  • Pre-Harvest Yield Estimation: Forecasts weekly plucking yields to aid factory processing, labor, and fuel planning.

  • Supply Chain and Policy Support: Delivers production forecasts to the Tea Board and ministries to stabilize prices, plan exports, and target subsidies.

What Technologies Will Be Used?

  • Satellite Remote Sensing: Uses ISRO’s Earth Observation satellites (Resourcesat, RISAT) for spatial coverage of canopy health and soil moisture.

  • Hyperspectral Imaging: Captures narrow spectral bands to detect early biochemical shifts, nitrogen gaps, and chlorophyll loss.

  • UAVs / Drones: Employs drone-mounted multispectral cameras for low-altitude, cloud-free surveillance in hilly areas.

  • AI & Machine Learning Models: Applies convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and random forest models using vegetation indices to automate boundary mapping and yield prediction.

  • Weather & Entomological Telemetry: Integrates micro-meteorological variables and pest trap data into predictive outbreak models.

Benefits for the Tea Sector 

  • Preventive Pest Control: Early alerts enable targeted spraying, cutting costs and residue rejections.

  • Climate Mitigation: Tracks weather shifts in Darjeeling and Assam to allow timely mulching and irrigation.

  • Yield Forecasting: Accurate volume estimates minimize leaf spoilage and factory energy waste.

  • Support for Small Growers: Provides Small Tea Growers free agri-intelligence.

  • Export Competitiveness: Reduces chemical overuse to meet EU and US FDA residue standards.

Tea Board of India

  • Establishment: It started in 1903 with the Indian Tea Cess Bill. The modern board formed on April 1, 1954, under the Tea Act of 1953.

  • Headquarters: Located in Kolkata, West Bengal.

  • Parent Ministry: It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

  • Composition: It has 31 members, including a chairman, MPs, growers, traders, brokers, and trade unions. The government resets it every three years.  

Key Functions

  • Regulation: Controls tea cultivation, quality standards, and licensing for producers and exporters.

  • Promotion: Boosts sales of Indian tea in domestic and international markets.

  • Research: Funds scientific studies to improve leaf quality and crop yield.

  • Welfare: Offers financial support and development programs for small growers and plantation workers.  

 

Source: BUSINESS-STANDARD

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Discuss the technological and structural challenges confronting India's tea sector and evaluate how precision agriculture can support climate resilience. (15 Marks, 250 Words)