How technology can benefit agriculture and farmers in India

The change in Indian agriculture began with the Green Revolution, which was trailed by accomplishments of large achievements: Blue revolution, white revolution, yellow and Bio-Technology revolutions. In India, agriculture is the core sector for food security, nutritional security, and sustainable development & for poverty alleviation.

It contributes approx. 18 % of GDP and practically 40% of total rural NDP (Net Domestic Product). Around 64% of the total labor force is occupied with horticulture or agribusiness based businesses. After independence, there has been noteworthy development in Indian agriculture with the grain production ascending to 273.83 million tons this year. All things considered, there are enormous challenges to be analyzed to enhance the agricultural growth in India.

Difficulties

Conventional Farming related Issues

A lot has been done to improve the cultivation, yet at the same time, Indian agriculture relies upon traditional farming techniques, natural waters irrigation, and development techniques. Farmers depend on ground waters, rivers and rains. Over-pumping of water has led to the falling in groundwater levels in certain parts, where water-logging is leading to salty soil. In rain-fed areas, soil disintegration and floods are significant dangers to Indian farmers all over the country.

Low Agricultural Productivity

Indian agriculture can possibly increase farm-productivity and yield. There has been a consistent adoption in hybrid and genetically altered crops, seed quality, irrigation techniques, crop diversification, and value chains. However, the utilization of technology utilizing sensors and GIS-based soil, climate prediction, water assets information, mobile-based farming, broad market data information and data services and automation of farming using robots seems unachievable.

Lack of Knowledge

The agriculture community is loaded with other difficulties as well. The biggest trouble is that the farmers don’t get the price they deserve for their produce. This is basically a result of numerous intermediaries. Lower returns compel them to take credits that they can’t support, driving them further into poverty. They don’t have access to powerful and better quality pesticides to protect their crops from bugs, diseases, weed and mites. Also, Indian farmers do not have a way to improve crop yield or information to comprehend soil health.

Indian farmers additionally don’t have the knowledge or technology to utilize modern irrigation methods as found in nations, for example, China, the US, and so forth.

Technology can answer most difficulties farmers face. It can assist them with predicting climate all the more precisely, decrease the use of water, increase yield and their net profit margins.

Precise Predictions

Big data can give farmers the information they have to create high quality, desirable crops. They can utilize data to decide the best seeds and other agri-items to use to get ideal outcomes. Artificial intelligence can assist them with foreseeing weather conditions and plan accordingly. They can likewise use cutting-edge e-platforms to chop down middle people and legitimately arrive at merchants and demand the right price for their goods.

Artificial Intelligence

The deployment and development of AI in agriculture is increasing because of the accessibility of the precision data. Artificial intelligence-based modern and cutting-edge tools can help get precision to large-scale farming. Farm equipment can plant various densities of seeds and apply varying amounts of fertilizer in different pieces of a field. While AI has become a backbone of the tech network, a significant number of the major agriculture input companies presently can’t seem to energetically seek after AI applications in farming. Utilizing remote sensing and GIS applications can effectively exhibit agricultural production.

Nano Science and Geo-Spatial Farming

Nano Science is a method which gives data to the farmers through the utilization of smart delivery systems and nano sensors concerning whether plants are taking water and other essential inputs in appropriate quantities. Moreover, it likewise gives data about the quality of food harvested. By adopting geo-spatial cultivating, agricultural production can be expanded on a large-scale. Higher production can be accomplished based on factors like weeds, nature of the soil and its dampness content, production (ripeness), rate of seeds, need of manures and other such factors.

Big Data

Big data has now become a key player for the utilization of technology for agricultural  development. Big data plays a significant function in agro-business by improving harvest yield, overseeing risk, and increasing efficiency. Data given to farmers can assist them with settling on timely decisions which can provide astounding outcomes. Soil sampling data can assist farmers with knowing the expected yield on their farm, efficient use of fertilizers and pesticides which can reduce their input cost.

Deep Learning

Technology, for example, deep learning can play a crucial part in giving significant data to farmers on different themes, for example, soil health, genetic engineering of seeds, best practices for planting and picking crops, checking the health of the animals, getting guidelines and approaches, getting the right financial aid and suitable government schemes to leverage.

Drones

They help in increasing production by diminishing expenses and misfortune in agricultural produce by supervision work. Progressed sensors, the ability of digital imaging, soil investigation, crop spraying, crop monitoring, the examination of the health of yields including fungus infection is conceivable with the assistance of drones.

Conclusion

Recently in Rajasthan, drones have ended up being significant in shielding agricultural produce from locust attacks. We can change this challenge of the overall spread of the Corona pandemic into an opportunity as due to the epidemic, there was a concern of lack of food items in the whole world. Because of this worry, there was a major gap being seen in supply and demand since individuals started storing food items. India can utilize this scenario as an opportunity with the goal that it can pave the way of economic prosperity for our farmers.