SMART PEST MANAGEMENT: EMPOWERING ANDHRA PRADESHS SMALLHOLDER FARMERS WITH AI-DRIVEN CROP HEALTH MONITORING

To solve important issues in the agricultural sector, such as insect infestations and ineffective applications of pesticides, this research project looks at how powered by AI insect management solutions, like Plantix, affect small-scale agricultural producers in Andhra Pradesh. Using a mixed-method approach, standardized questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 416 agriculturalists, and interactions with a selected group of farmers and agricultural extension agents were used to obtain qualitative insights. Significant drops in consumption of pesticides were shown by descriptive statistics; users in artificial intelligence reported a 23% drop, which helped to save money and save the environment. With a lesser association to household income, regression analysis revealed that mobile access and digital competence were the main factors influencing the widespread utilization of artificial intelligence. AI users reported 17% higher crop productivity and improved soil health, according to t-tests and ANOVA tests, demonstrating the wider positive impacts of less usage of pesticides. T