Buzz on Banning Pesticides: Can AI technology bring a solution to farmers?
Pesticides are substances that are used to kill, repel, or control pests. Based on their activity pesticides are broadly categorized into insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, herbicides, and bactericides, etc. In India, the agricultural sector accounts for an average of 15%-20% yield losses annually due to various pests. The use of pesticides helps in mitigating the pest problem and increasing crop output by 25%-50%.
Indian scenario:
Approximately 40,000 different species of insects are recorded in India. Among them, nearly 1,000 insects have been listed as potential pests of economic plants, 500 pests have caused serious damage at some time and 70 have been known to cause significant economic losses. In order to control these pests more than 200 different pesticides are registered and being used in India. According to the FAO, the Indian pesticide industry is worth more than Rs. 40,000 crores. Pesticides worth Rs. 22,000 crores are being exported from India to global markets such as the US and Europe. Punjab ranks #1 in India in terms of pesticide consumption per unit agricultural area. It used approx. 9.2 percent of the country’s pesticide produced in 2018–19 and over 8 percent in 2019–20. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra rank next to Punjab in terms of pesticide consumption per unit agricultural area.
Pesticide Regulations in India:
In India currently, 295 pesticides and 746 approved formulations were registered. Central Insecticides Board (CIB) and the Registration Committee (RC) acts as an advisory body towards the registration of new pesticides in the country. These two regulatory bodies are governed by the Insecticides Act, 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971. Based on the efficacy, toxicity, and safety data of the pesticides, the CIBRC registers pesticides for usage in India. The central government through its Ministry of Agriculture has the authority to allow continued use, cancel registrations, and in some cases even ban the pesticides upon the recommendation of the RC.
Banning of certain pesticides:
Pesticides by their nature are potentially toxic to other organisms, including humans. Only judicial use of pesticides will help in minimizing their toxicity and boosting the agricultural output. Recently, the government of India came out with a draft notification, titled ‘Banning of Insecticides Order 2020’, which prohibits the import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution, and use of 12 insecticides, 8 fungicides, and 7 herbicides in India. This list includes some of the popular pesticides such as Acephate, Captan, Carbofuran, Chlorpyriphos, 2,4-D, Deltamethrin, and others, which created a buzz in the agricultural sector.
Why the buzz on banning?
With the ban of these off-patent, cheap pesticides, Indian farmers are left with fewer alternatives. Ban increases the farm input costs and reduces the efficacy of crop protection. Moreover, reliance on a more limited range of insecticides could also worsen the incidence of insecticide resistance resulting in failure of pest control. These pesticides occupy more than 40 percent market share in India and alternatives to these are branded and expensive, which results in an increase in pesticide costs to Rs. 350–450 per liter.
Digital solution by Fasal for reducing the pesticide application:
With the ongoing debate on banning pesticides, at Fasal, we aim to reduce the number of pesticide sprays on the farm which in turn reduces the hazardous effect on nature. We rely on AI-based smart technology for the continuous ‘monitoring and surveillance’ of the farm. Fasal monitors ground-level microclimatic conditions governing the pest populations and advises farmers to take up preventive pesticide sprays when and only microclimatic conditions are favorable for pest development. Thus, it reduces the unnecessary traditional way of repetitive sprays that results in increased farm input and environmental pollution. Fasal’s crop planner includes Integrated Pest Management approaches for combating pests scientifically and holistically. At Fasal, we recommend pesticide molecules that are registered under CIBRC and follow the recommendations of government research institutions. While developing spray advisories, we take care of all aspects related to insecticide resistance, pre-harvest intervals, etc., to come out with sound management practices, thus, making a reliable advisory service for farmers. Shortly, we will be rolling out a satellite image-based field identification service, which will enable the farmer to take up target-specific management approaches to prevent pest attacks on their farm. This will not only save farmers’ fields from repetitive chemical sprays but also help to manage their farms in a scientific way.
