WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE?
Technology is aiding every sphere of our lives, and farming is not an exception. As farmers are employing machines to reduce labour costs, agricultural operations function differently these days. With the help of technology, farmers can ensure the selective application of water, fertilizers and pesticides. In this blog, we will explore the role of technology in agriculture in India.
Growing relevance of technology for developing countries
The use of technology in agriculture can help developing countries in increasing the yields and reducing the consumption of fertilizers. Nations in Africa and Asia who have the dream of becoming self-sufficient can achieve the goals if they employ these technologies in agriculture. Crop diseases reduce the productivity in many of these developing countries, and technologies can help in identifying the diseases in time, reducing their impact. Developing countries, including India, lack the resources and can employ these technologies to use the resource more efficiently.
Ways in which technologies can help farmers
With advancements, there are multifarious uses of technology in agriculture. Robotic technologies enable more reliable monitoring and management of natural resources. Data-driven decisions can be taken by the farmers with the help of inputs they get from sensors that can collect data regarding soil conditions, temperatures and humidity. The use of drone technology in farming is untapped. But, it can be gainfully employed in the detection of crop diseases. Satellite imagery can provide real-time information to farmers about the weather. Decisions like sowing and harvesting can be taken on the basis of these data. IoT can help in automating the processes like irrigation and fertilization, reducing manual efforts.
Reliability of the technologies
The role of technology in agriculture in India is growing because farmers can rely on them. ICT-based solution providers can develop user-friendly interfaces for farmers who are not tech-savvy. These interfaces will provide the farmers with up-to-date information about weather conditions. Real-time images of the farms can be accessed by the farmers when they avail of these services. The Indian government has realized how important it is to promote agricultural technologies. It has realized that IoT and AI have applications in precision farming, climate monitoring, livestock monitoring, agricultural drones, smart greenhouses etc. Technology innovation hubs have been set up in premier institutes of national importance. These hubs are involved in the applications of IoT and AI in Agriculture.
Benefits of employing technologies
Profitability is one of the main concerns for farmers in India. Agriculture supply chains can be strengthened with the help of information. Farmers can ensure that the end product meets the requirements of consumers. A direct link can be established with the consumers, which will increase the profitability of the farmers.
Ability to transform agriculture
Technologies are transforming all businesses, and farming is not an exception to it. With many uses of technology in agriculture, it has the ability to transform agriculture. In fact, a new term has been coined for technologies that are being used in farming: Agriculture 4.0. Agriculture 4.0 technologies can help in digitalizing food and agriculture systems using AI, IoT, automation and other technologies to create a hyper-connected network of farms, machines and factories that result in the optimization of both food production and consumption.
Services that are available for farmers
High-grade services are available for farmers in India. NEC has developed a product called CropScope for farm management. CropScope is a product that farmers can use to make data-driven decisions. It consists of a service that uses sensors and satellite photographs to visualize the growth of the crop. As it is easy to use, the product can be used by the farmers to access critical information required during farming. The product can be used to automate processes like fertilization and irrigation. Because of its efficiency, the product is being used in 11 countries across the world. In Australia and Portugal, it has increased the yield by around 30% and reduced the consumption of nitrogen fertilizer by 20%.
Conclusion
Traditional farming can reduce the profitability of farmers in developing countries. Technology can provide support to farmers in decision-making. These decisions based on real-time data can help them to combat crop diseases and strengthen the supply chain.
