Syllabus
GS Paper 3 – E-technology in the aid of farmers
Context
The Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research stated at the inaugural session of the national seminar on “Smart Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture and Environment” that precision farming is the future of crop production.
Introduction
India, boasting one of the world’s largest arable lands with over 155 million hectares, stands as a significant agricultural producer. Despite this, the sector faces numerous structural challenges such as low productivity, uneconomic landholding size, sub-optimal input use efficiency, high biotic losses, and a low level of mechanisation. Given the pressing concerns of climate change, depletion of natural resources, and a looming food crisis, it is imperative for India to transition from aggressive farming to precision farming. As per projections, the global market for precision farming is expected to soar to US$ 14.6 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of approximately 8%.
What is Precision Farming?
- Precision farming is a method where resources are used in exact quantities to achieve higher average yields, as opposed to conventional farming practices.
- It is the application of science to enhance crop yields using sophisticated sensor technology and analytical tools.
- This approach employs a variety of advanced technologies and tools to monitor various parameters and gather data related to crop growth, such as soil moisture and pH levels.
- The collected data is then used for targeted interventions.
- The term ‘precision’ is used because this method focuses on executing the right intervention (for example, watering crops) at the right place and time, catering to the specific needs of individual crops and specific land areas with exceptional precision.
Scope of Precision Farming in India
- The potential for precision farming in India is vast, given the ongoing challenges faced by farmers, such as water scarcity, climate change, and depleting soil health.
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has initiated a Network Project focused on precision agriculture.
- Numerous private dairy farms are adopting an RFID-based animal identification and farm automation management system. Some of these include:
- Kopordern Farm (North Goa)
- Lakshya Dairy (Haryana)
- Sangamner Milk Union (Maharashtra)
- Chitale Dairy (Pune)
- The Government of India is promoting precision agriculture through the establishment of 22 Precision Farming Development Centres (PFDCs) across the nation.
- Additionally, educational institutions and research organisations are conducting workshops and training programs to raise awareness and provide technical expertise to farmers.
Key Components of Precision Farming
- Global Positioning System (GPS): This technology is used to pinpoint the location of farm equipment in the field, providing an accurate positioning system essential for implementing variable rate technology in agricultural input management. The internet facilitates the development of an efficient system for remote sensing-based agricultural management.
- Grid Sampling: This technique involves dividing fields into small units (~0.5–5 hectares). Soil samples from these grids are collected, combined, and analyzed in a lab to determine the appropriate application rates for crop inputs.
- Variable-Rate Technology (VRT): VRT comprises farm field equipment capable of precisely controlling the application rate of variable crop inputs, including fertilizers, irrigation, tillage, and insect control.
- Yield Monitors: These are crop yield measuring tools installed on harvesting machinery. The yield data from the monitor, along with the positioning data from the GPS device, is recorded and saved. This data is used by GIS software to create yield maps, aiding decisions related to targeted intervention.
- Remote Sensors: In agricultural terms, remote sensing involves observing crops from an overhead position (from a satellite or low-flying aircraft/drone) without direct contact, recording and displaying the image. This technique allows for effective pinpointing of field problems. Remote sensors can be aerial or satellite sensors.
- Proximate Sensors: These sensors can measure soil parameters (such as Nitrogen content, pH, etc.) and crop properties as the tractor traverses the field.
- Computer Hardware and Software: Computer support is necessary to analyze the data gathered by other components of precision farming technology and to present it in accessible formats such as maps, graphs, charts, or reports.
Benefits of Precision Farming
- Increased Agricultural Productivity: Precision farming enhances agricultural output and promotes yield by using precise amounts of inputs like fertilizers and water, determined scientifically through sensor-captured data.
- Reduction in Chemical Application: Precision farming reduces waste by supplying fertilizers only where specific nutrients are lacking and using weedicides only at locations with weeds. Drones can be used for targeted delivery of chemicals with desired precision.
- Prevention of Soil Degradation: By avoiding overuse of chemicals, precision farming prevents the leaching of undesired chemicals into the soil, thereby protecting soil health.
- Efficient Use of Water Resources: Precision farming reduces water usage through targeted delivery techniques like fertigation, a process that directly applies fertilizer to a crop through the irrigation system.
- Improvement in Farm Incomes: Precision farming can improve farm incomes and raise the socio-economic conditions of farmers by increasing productivity and reducing the use of inputs and wastage.
- Job Creation: Precision farming has the potential to create numerous employment opportunities. For example, operating drones is a specialized skillset. Rural youth can be trained and employed as certified drone operators. According to one estimate, these new-age technologies have the potential to create 2.1 million jobs in rural areas.
Challenges in Precision Farming
- High Cost: Precision farming relies on technologies such as GPS, drones, and sensors. These technologies are capital intensive and necessitate substantial initial investments, which may be beyond the reach of small and marginal farmers.
- Lack of Technical Expertise and Technology: The deployment and use of these technologies, as well as the interpretation of the captured data, require a high level of awareness and skills.
- Not Viable for Small Land Holdings: Precision farming requires significant investments and is more conducive to mechanized farming, with proximate sensors typically deployed on farm machinery like tractors. The returns from small landholdings may be too little (due to low absolute output, even if the yield is high) to justify the high investments required in precision farming.
- Security Risks: The technology behind precision farming practices opens up opportunities for extremists, terrorists, and adversarial governments to attack farming machinery with the aim of disrupting food production. For instance, in 2021, a ransomware attack forced approximately 20% of the beef processing plants in the U.S. to shut down, with one company paying nearly US$ 11 million to cybercriminals.
- Data Collection: The prevalence of segregated smallholder farms in the country complicates the process of data gathering.
- Lack of Centralised Repository: A centralised repository is needed to store data from different geographical locations, weather conditions, soil types, crop types, and other parameters to create a viable model based on advanced technology.
- Cadastral Data: For improved analytics, cadastral data, which includes administrative boundaries and geo-coded soil data, should be made available through public sources.
- Disparate Data: Rich data sets, such as soil health cards on micro-nutrients, are disparate and not interoperable, which limits analytics and value creation.
- Affordability: The technological interventions used in precision farming are unaffordable for Indian farmers.
Steps to promote use of Technology in Agriculture in India
- Digital Agriculture Mission 2021–2025: This initiative aims to leverage a wide range of technologies, including AI, blockchain, and drone technology, to enhance the overall performance of the agricultural sector.
- AI Sowing App: Currently, the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is collaborating with Microsoft to develop an AI Sowing App. This app sends sowing advisories to farmers, indicating the optimal date to sow, which is crucial for ensuring the best yield.
- Crop Yield Prediction Model Using AI: In May 2018, NITI Aayog partnered with IBM to develop a crop yield prediction model using AI. This model provides real-time advisory to farmers, aiming to enhance crop productivity, increase soil yield, control agricultural inputs, and ultimately improve farmers’ income.
- AI Sensors for Smart Farming: The Government of India, in collaboration with Microsoft, is empowering small-holder farmers in India to increase their income through higher crop yield and greater price control using AI sensors.
- Drones for Crop and Soil Health Monitoring: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), along with six partner institutes, is undertaking a project titled ‘SENSAGRI: Sensor-based Smart Agriculture’. The objective is to develop an indigenous prototype for a drone-based crop and soil health monitoring system using remote sensors.
Way forward
- Farm Digitization: There’s a need to scale up digital agriculture in India by introducing digitisation at the farm level.
- Effective Partnerships: Valuable lessons can be learned from numerous successful examples of collaborations between stakeholders both within India and globally.
- Digital Infrastructure: There’s a need to develop a comprehensive digital public infrastructure for farmers, covering all areas from input to output.
- Accessibility: The government can subsidise the cost of technology to enable farmers to transition towards digital technology.
- Carbon Trade: The establishment of carbon credits for farmers could incentivize the adoption of precision agriculture.
Conclusion
Precision farming in India is a transformative approach that leverages technology to optimize crop yields, reduce waste, and minimize environmental impact. It offers a sustainable and efficient way to feed the growing population while preserving natural resources. By harnessing data analytics, remote sensing, and automation, precision farming can increase efficiency, profitability, and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. It has the potential to revolutionize the agriculture sector and contribute to India’s overall economic growth. Thus, precision farming is undoubtedly the future of agriculture in India.
Source: The Hindu
Practice Question
Discuss the potential of Precision Farming in transforming the agricultural sector in India. In your answer, consider its benefits, challenges, and the role of technology. Also, suggest strategies for its effective implementation in the context of small and marginal farmers. [250 words]