Agri varsity charts path to digital Evergreen Revolution
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), hailed as the cradle of India’s Green Revolution, is scripting a bold new chapter in Indian agriculture—a digitally driven Evergreen Revolution.
Armed with artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, robotics, omics sciences and geospatial technologies, the PAU is taking a giant leap towards sustainable, intelligent and future-ready farming.
Leading this charge is the integration of cutting-edge tools viz, AI, drones, IoT sensors, robotics, spectroscopy and GIS, into every facet of agriculture. These technologies enable real-time crop monitoring, early stress detection, precision fertigation and site-specific pest and weed management. Digital agriculture at the PAU goes beyond gadgets; it’s about actionable intelligence. Through AI models, spectroscopy and satellite imagery, farmers will gain the ability to forecast yields, fine-tune planting schedules, diagnose soil health, map nutrient deficiencies and respond proactively to climate variability.
At the molecular front, the PAU is fusing genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and phenomics with AI to decode plant responses to stress and unlock genetic resilience. These omics-powered insights will help accelerate the breeding of climate-smart, high-yielding varieties, offering solutions to problems like stagnating incomes, overuse of chemicals and pest outbreaks.
To institutionalise this transformation, Vice-Chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal said the PAU had launched the School of Digital Innovations for Smart Agriculture (S-DISA). S-DISA will focus on AI, robotics, GIS and big data, and roll out two forward-looking programmes in July —a Postgraduate Diploma in Mechatronics and an MTech in AI and Data Science in Agriculture. Tie-ups with IITs, BITS-Pilani and international institutes of repute will fuel cutting-edge collaboration and curriculum development.
Recognising the role of drone tech, the PAU has also established a ministry-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) under RKVY to train rural youth in UAV operations. Meanwhile, the university’s 2012 master’s programme in Remote Sensing and GIS, launched with PRSC, continues to support spatial analytics for agriculture. The PAU’s recommended SOPs for drone-based spraying are now in use, and the Centre is leveraging UAV-mounted multispectral imaging to detect disease and pest outbreaks.
Parallelly, the university retains its dominance in crop genetics through the newly established AccelBreed Speed Breeding Centre (2024) and high-throughput genotyping labs. Along with one of India’s largest collections of wild germplasm, 1,500 wild wheat and 1,200 wild rice accessions, fuelling genetic breakthroughs.
To handle the surge in data from AI, sensors, drones and genomics, the PAU is preparing to deploy a High-Performance Computing (HPC) platform. This will support real-time processing of vast datasets, enable predictive modelling for crop yield and disease outbreaks and power next-generation decision-making in agriculture. It will also drive integrated analysis across phenotypic, genotypic and environmental data layers, enabling ultra-precise and sustainable interventions.
In addition, the PAU is building specialised clusters and hubs as well as centres of excellence, including the PAU gene bank, high-throughput genomics and phenomics facility, bio and renewable energy centre, agri-business incubation hub and market intelligence cell, providing research, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems to complement its digital thrust. The Government of Punjab has assured support in the endeavours to scale up this critical backbone of smart agriculture.
“By leading this seamless integration of science, technology and sustainability, the PAU is not just transforming agriculture in Punjab; it is establishing a national model for future farming. The Green Revolution sowed hope. The ‘Evergreen Revolution’, born of data and vision, is poised to reap resilience,” Dr Gosal added.
wuw
Ludhiana