Now, e-technologies for testing quality of Indian rice, tea

A host of e-technologies for testing quality of tea and rice in India are ready to empower the agricultural sector through the 'Digital India Programme', it was announced here on Monday.

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) here has designed, developed and deployed latest technologies to digitally boost agri-marketing.

From assessing the aroma, quality and ageing of Indian black tea, to obtaining a 'smell print' of aromatic rice varieties, some of the latest non-invasive technologies were C-DAC's executive director Col. A.K. Nath (retd.) on Monday to mark the 'Digital India Week'.

Innovations include "Enovision", which utilises a digital camera-based image capturing system for detecting fermentation of tea leaves and a sensor to measure complex odours.

Similarly, for aromatic rice varieties such as Basmati, the "E-Nose" develops an electronic pattern or fingerprint of smells through a sensor.

The "E-Tongue" can be applied for taste characterising and monitoring of ageing tea whole the electronic vision system for rice ('Annadarpan') assesses quality of rice, said Nath.

"In addition, we have designed systems for silk yarn analysis and for electronic evaluation of quality characteristics of chillies based on visual parameters. These will help famers in exporting quality produce," he said.

C-DAC under the ministry of information and communication technology is partnering with the central government in implementing Digital India.