The Union Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh today launched Crop Manager for Rice-based Systems (CMRS) – a web based App for better crop and Nutrient management released for Bihar farmers in a program organised at ICAR-RCER in Patna. While launching the App, the Union Minister congratulated the scientists of different institutes involved in development of this app. The App will be a part of Digital India program, already launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and will be linked with Soil Health scheme for bringing access to new technologies to rural India. Crop Manager for Rice-based Systems (CMRS) is a web-based App which can be used with computer, mobile and tablet and aims to increase farmer's net income and sustain the productivity for rice-based cropping systems in Bihar, India.
CMRS provides irrigated and rainfed farmers with rice-based cropping systems in Bihar with a crop and nutrient management guideline customized to the needs of an individual farmer. CMRS uses a farmer's answers to questions on farming practices to automatically generate a rice, wheat, or rabi maize management guideline. CMRS is designed for use by extension workers, crop advisers, input providers, and providers of services who interview a farmer using a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet. CMRS was adapted, evaluated, and verified in Bihar through collaboration of IRRI with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research- RCER (ICAR); Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU) and CIMMYT.