The University of Stirling, United Kingdom, along with University of Strathclyde, UK; International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad; and National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM), Hyderabad have joined hands to develop effective methods to monitor the spread of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an invasive aquatic weed in the Kuttanad region.
It is part of an international project entitled ‘Multimodal data analysis for monitoring invasive aquatic weeds in India.’
₹2.8-cr. project
G. Nagendra Prabhu, principal investigator of the Centre for Research on Aquatic Resources of SD College, Alappuzha, has been selected as a collaborator on the project. The project is funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, London, under its ‘Frontiers follow-on’ scheme. The grant sanctioned for the three-year project is ₹2.8 crore.
The researchers will combine the use of multiple data sources (satellite and drone observations and ground-based sensors).
Algorithms will be devised combining multi-modal data for effective detection. Pilot trials will be carried out and sustainability ensured through training and dissemination activities, Mr. Prabhu said.
