Teaching and Tech for Food Security
U.S. Fulbright-Nehru scholar Dharmendra Saraswat leveraged American expertise in AI to detect rice blast disease and promoted hands-on learning across India’s agricultural research community.
Dharmendra Saraswat, a professor at Purdue University and U.S. Fulbright-Nehru scholar, wants to tackle a critical agricultural challenge: rice blast disease, a harmful infection that can ruin rice crops. In 2023-24, at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, he adapted deep learning models, originally developed for corn, to detect early signs of the disease in rice.
By combining drone imagery with sensor data, he helped develop predictive tools that can detect early signs and protect crops in the United States and India from damage. These innovations build on cutting-edge U.S. expertise in agricultural data science, showcasing how American research drives practical solutions with global impact.
In addition to his research, Saraswat also mentored young scientists and advised agri-tech start-ups across India, expanding networks of expertise that reinforce U.S. leadership in agricultural technology and problem-solving. His engagement with students, researchers and entrepreneurs also reflects the Fulbright-Nehru program’s commitment to building connections that make both India and the United States safer, stronger and more prosperous.
Innovation and collaborations
The idea of working on rice blast disease came unexpectedly to Saraswat while helping a graduate student. “I read an article that the fungal disease destroys enough rice to feed 60 million people annually, resulting in nearly $60 billion in losses. Rice feeds over half of the world’s population and supports millions of farmers, particularly in India,” he says. “With yields needing to increase by over 40 percent by 2030, early detection is critical.”
Drawing from work done on corn disease detection, Saraswat adapted deep learning models using rice-specific data at the IARI, which has an active program in rice disease research. The models detected early infections and supported the creation of new spectral metrics as well as drone and satellite monitoring systems.
Saraswat explains that the collaboration with IARI began with a shared goal: to modernize spatial data science education by making it more relevant and hands-on. However, due to organizational changes at IARI, he shifted his focus to delivering pedagogy-based seminars across India. These emphasized experiential learning, the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) method, and weekly hands-on exercises.
“This work complemented a multistate U.S. project I had led, reinforcing the need to connect theory with real-world practice in agri-tech,” he says. This approach highlights U.S. strengths in collaborative, data-driven agriculture research, combining advanced modeling techniques with applied field solutions. Saraswat also evaluated agri-tech start-ups, served as an invited member on the committee reviewing India’s National Pest Surveillance System launched in August 2024, and led workshops on edge computing at Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutes, expanding the reach of his Fulbright-Nehru project.
Strengthening scientific ties
The Fulbright-Nehru experience deepened Saraswat’s belief in the power of U.S.-India scientific collaboration. At IARI, he worked closely with agricultural engineers, plant pathologists and remote sensing experts. “I formalized collaborations with institutions like Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology in Meerut to promote joint research, curriculum innovation and student exchange,” he adds.
Saraswat also engaged with leaders at the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Indian Department of Science and Technology to explore sustainable models for cross-border innovation.
He believes that academic research continues to be a powerful force in strengthening U.S.-India ties. “At Purdue,” he notes, “the connection with India spans over 125 years. We have over 3,000 Indian students and 300 faculty of Indian origin. Recent initiatives, like the Purdue-India Center for Education and Engagement, and the U.S.-India Center of Excellence in Semiconductors with IIT Hyderabad, support joint degrees, research and innovation in frontier fields.”
The above article was published in SPAN and is being reproduced here with their permission.
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