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parency in the value chain,” For India’s ‘Chai’ industry
Bhamra explains.
AI-Based Spectral Analysis Determining Fine Leaf Count (FLC) is imperative to the tea industry. AgNext has
— AgNext has innovated and deployed TragNext, a platform for rapid and accurate estimation of FLC. Using AI
integrated portable, on-field and Image Recognition Software, AgNext can identify leaves from various classes
devices connected with Qual- coming from garden harvest as leaves, buds, Banjhi, shoots and the rest. Leaves
ix platform that help in instant are first dried and separated using a patented technology and then photographed
spectral analysis of agri com- with a high FPS camera. In the post-processed inverted binarized image, each
modities in the form of liquids, component is identified and extracted separately using AI, and then the images are
solids, powders, grains or leaves, processed for FLC as per industry standards. A set of final stats show how many
pretty much covering the whole leaf and bud configurations are in every shoot, allowing for a percentage of FLC to
spectrum nature offers. “Our be displayed on the device and mobile. All this gets done at a fraction of time, gives
technology can instantly ana- access to more sampling for better evaluation and removes subjectivity digitizing
lyze the chemical composition the entire procurement and payment process from there on. This technology has
of commodities like grains, oil- been deployed in tea estates of Goodricke, Rossell Tea, CISTA, Bokahola Tea, Tea
seeds, pulses, milk, spices and Board of India and many other leading tea companies.
animal feed. We are only using
AgNext has the technology created years ty of crops are assessed manually taken as devised by the research
created a ago by Sir CV Raman for which and with the naked eye, leaving institutions for better manage-
singular he had won the Nobel Prize,” room for multiple inconsisten- ment of food quality.
platform he shares. cies, manual fatigue and manip-
called Qualix The spectrum of food taken by ulations leading to losses across Well-received by industry
Technology the spectroscopy is like an MRI agriculture value chains. “For The startup has raised a total
through scan of the body. “Like the MRI example, the quality of tea leaves of $4.2 million funding till date
which scan can analyze the body, our is done by a person who spreads from Omnivore and Kalaari ven-
multiple spectroscope can analyze the them on a table and makes a sub- ture funds to expand its research
agri- contents in the food in just 30 jective assessment. But what we and build this technological plat-
commodities seconds. By contents, it means do is a computer-based analysis form. The industry has well ac-
can be the amount of carbohydrates, by taking a picture of the sam- cepted this new technology that
assessed fat, protein, etc. Similarly, it ple. The software analyzes the promises to solve the subjectivi-
in just 30 can also detect adulteration. sample and based on that, they ty and delay in quality procure-
seconds. For example, if there is urea or can fix the price. Similar tech- ment, leading to various value
detergent in milk, our technol- nologies apply to grains like corn, losses across the value chain and
ogy can detect it in 30 seconds,” barley, wheat, rice and others to to stakeholders. Having clients
adds Bhamra. assess the physical parameters such as Arya Collateral, NAFED,
AI-Based Image Analytics — The like weevilled, shriveled, broken, Goodricke, and Rossell Tea
startup has built a technology clean, damaged etc.,” he explains. attests to the fact that the feed-
which works with on-premise AI-Based Sensor Analytics — back from the industry has been
embedded cameras for instant “We pioneered the first appli- extremely positive.
quality assessment using com- cations for LoRA WAN-based “Quality-based trading requires
puter vision. Across India, majori- IoT applications in India, which a lot of technology, so we are
provide quality estimations in providing a unique platform to
Source: AgNext Technologies multiple agriculture processes in the world. Physical, chemical,
spatial arrangements, like curing, and ambient assaying caters
food storage, warehousing and to all industry needs. Till now
logistics,” states Bhamra. we have partnered with nodal
AgNext has built STQC calibrat- agencies and industry leaders to
ed sensors for temperature, hu- build and market this technolo-
midity, gaseous emissions, and gy like Tea Research Associa-
other parameters key for various tion of India, ITC, SourceTrace
agriculture industries like curing and many others and current-
solutions, grain silos, warehous- ly, we are working across sev-
es, food processors and storage en states impacting 1.5 million
services. These provide real-time tonne of procurement through
alerts on control parameters and our system,” shares Bhamra
data analytics for actions to be with evident pride.
46 | March-April 2021 Modern Manufacturing India
