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Overview |
Crop Production |
Crop Pattern |
Crop Yield |
Irrigation |
Soil Management | Precision Farming |
Relevant Products |
Relevant Links
Operationalization of Precision Farming in India
Ashish Mishra
B. E. Civil Engineering
ashishmishi@yahoo.com
P Chidambara Raj
Students, B.E. Geoinformatics
pc_raj@yahoo.com
D.Balaji
Students, B.E. Geoinformatics
mr_donb@yahoo.co.in
Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy,
Anna University, Chennai – 600025.
1. Introduction:
“Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian Economy”- said Mahatma Gandhi five decades ago. Even today, as we enter the new millennium, the situation is still the same, with almost the entire economy being sustained by agriculture, which is the mainstay of the villages. Not only the economy, but also every one of us looks up to agriculture for our sustenance too. Therefore, it is no surprise if agriculture gets the celebrity status in the name of Precision farming (PF). In recent times, the researchers in the field have been busy formulating methodologies and fabricating new implements for precision farming. It is here the challenge arises considering the implementation of the technology at various levels in the Global community. The need of the hour is not application of the technology but the adoption of appropriate technology, which would suit the particular level of the global community. In India, the farming practices are too haphazard and non-scientific and hence need some forethought before implementing any new technology. It is here that this paper comes out with a cost-benefit analysis to prove that precision farming is possible in India.
Applications of agricultural inputs at uniform rates across the field without due regard to in-field variations in soil fertility and crop conditions does not yield desirable results in terms of crop yield. The management of in-field variability in soil fertility and crop conditions for improving the crop production and minimizing the environmental impact is the crux of precision farming. Thus, the information on spatial variability in soil fertility status and crop conditions is a pre-requisite for adoption of precision farming. Space technology including global positioning system (GPS) and GIS holds good promise in deriving information on soil attributes and crop yield, and allows monitoring seasonally- variable soil and crop characteristics, namely soil moisture, crop phenology, growth, evapotranspiration, nutrient deficiency, crop disease, and weed and insect infestation, which, in turn, help in optimizing inputs and maximizing crop yield and income.
Though widely adopted in developed countries, the adoption of precision farming in India is yet to take a firm ground primarily due to its unique pattern of land holdings, poor infrastructure, lack of farmers’ inclination to take risk, socio-economic and demographic conditions. The aim of this paper is to suggest measures for the implementation of this novel technique in the country with a greater emphasis on the systematic approach towards its operationalisation.
2. Objectives
- To explain the feasibility of precision farming technology with emphasis on seed spacing, tillage, etc.
- To set up a DGPS network all around the country and achieving few centimeters accuracy for the purpose of Site-Specific Management (SSM) in Precision Farming .
- To analyze the cost and benefit in terms of Indian farmer’s income-expenditure.
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