NEIL DESHMUKH
UNITED STATES & INDIA, 17
Project: Plantum AI
Basic Human Needs: Environment, Food, Health
While growing up Neil spent every summer in Maharashtra, India where his grandparents lived. During his trip in 2016, Neil learned that farmers had to spray their crops with a multitude of pesticides since they could not determine exact types of crop disease. Any disease would greatly threaten their crop and reduce their community’s food supply, along with their livelihood. The pesticides would end up in the community’s water supply, poisoning many people near their village. In 2017, Neil created PlantumAI, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to solve three primary problems faced by farmers in resource-scarce areas: crop disease, overuse of pesticides and unpredictable harvest schedules due to climate change. The mobile-based app uses photos taken on a farmer’s mobile phone to identify a crop disease and provide treatment options. It also advises on optimal harvesting techniques and connects farmers to local universities for support. Neil has further developed PlantumAI into a complex platform that combines novel algorithms and human expertise to provide comprehensive analyses and predictions. PlantumAI has assisted more than 8,500 farmers in 23 Indian villages in protecting their harvests and reducing harm to the environment. By partnering with a university in India, Neil is contributing the data collected from PlantumAI to enhance students’ education and advance agricultural research. In 2019, PlantumAI received an Emergent Ventures Grant, which provided device support so farmers who could not afford smart phones could use PlantumAI. Neil hopes his platform takes steps towards a world where everyone has equal access to food and clean agricultural practices to keep the environment safe.