Precision Farming: A ray of hope for Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Precision Farming: A ray of hope for Sustainable Agriculture

U.K.Shanwad
Ph.D. scholar, Department of agronomy University of agriculture sciences, Dharwad 580 005 Karnataka, INDIA

Abstract:
As the result of information technology application in agriculture, precision farming is a feasible approach for sustainable agriculture. Precision farming makes use of Remote sensing to macro-control of GPS to locate precisely ground position and of GIS to store ground information. It precisely establishes various operations, such as the best tillage, application of fertilizer, sowing irrigati*on, spurting etc., and turns traditional extensive production to intensive production according to space variable data. Precision farming not only may utilize fully resources, reduce investment, decrease pollution of the environment and get the most of social and economic efficiency, but also makes farm products, the same as industry, become controllable, and be produced in standards and batches. However, precision farming has been confined to developed countries. Land tenure system, smaller farm size (<1ha) and crop diversity limit the scope for precision farming in India. However, there is wide scope for precision farming in irrigated areas/commercial crops/fruit and vegetable crops/high value crops. It is apparent from the foregoing that there is tremendous scope for precision farming in developing a database of agricultural resources and decision support systems at the farm (<1ha!) level. This will be a stupendous task and a threatening challenge to space and agricultural scientists alike who are currently remotely placed from the ground truth of Indian farming. However, the speeds of these transformations depend very much on the level of commitment of politicians, bureaucrats, scientists and technocrats at whose mercy the farmer really is!