Rice Doctor

The high humid and cloudy weather of Assam makes it congenial for the insect pests and diseases and causes yield losses of nearly 15-20% in rice. Rice grown in Assam is subjected to a variety of insect pests and diseases which, if left untreated, can lead to significant yield losses, and therefore a reduction in farmer profits. To be able to manage yield limiting factors effectively, the most important step is the early and correct diagnosis of the problem and its subsequent management. Effective agricultural extension and access to knowledge is essential to facilitate improvements and productivity gains in the agricultural sector.

Rice Doctor is a mobile app developed by AAU in collaboration with IRRI under the aegis of APART, to expedite and simplify the task of pinpointing the cause of field problems and provide instant solutions and management practices recommended for Assam. The app is available in two languages (English and Assamese) for ease of use and for wider dissemination that can serve the dual purpose as a diagnostic tool and educational material to thousands of stakeholders, reducing the cost and improving the quality of rice crop. With the intention of targeting different stakeholders like farmers, extension advisors, students, input dealers, the app aims at bridging the information gap between research and farm practice. It is a one stop source of information on 63 insect-pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, toxicities and agronomy related problems.

Salient features of the Rice Doctor Assam app

•  Available in two languages; English and Assamese
•  The app is functional even without internet facility
•  One stop source of information on 63 insect-pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, toxicities and agronomy related problems.
•  Consists of a feature to send queries to experts and receive an answer with the solution
•  In built camera to capture the rice based problems at hand