Applications of Expert System in Agro-Informatics

This paper emphasizes the applications of the Expert System in Agro-informatics and reveals their importance as one of the very useful tools for the transfer of domain specific knowledge to the end users. Agro-informatics is the interdisciplinary branch of study which deals with the application and development of electronics, computer and ICT based tools for agricultural applications. The profession of agriculture aided by the various ICT based tools opens new avenue for applied research. Expert system (ES) is one of the advanced developments in software technology and can play key role in the agro-informatics. An Expert System is a program that employs expert knowledge coded in a AI language in a computer to solve problems that require human expertise. It came as the first commercial product of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the software market place and proved it efficacy by solving many problems at par with the human expert. The Expert System in agriculture is based on agriculture related problem solving models; including Diagnostics model, Hypothesis proving model, Prediction model and Farm Management model. It uses the domain specific knowledge of the experts in different representational forms such as production rules, list, frames etc. An integrated approach of Expert System with other ICT tools and electronics systems has tremendous potential to supports many problem solving activities i.e. decision making, forecasting, regulating, controlling, monitoring, prescribing, interpreting, knowledge sharing and reuse, intelligent retrieval of agricultural data. The aim of the paper is to produce detail account of applications of expert system in agriculture in Indian perspective.