Horticulture 4.0: Precision Tech

Indian agriculture’s contribution to the GDP has been continuously falling from 35% in 1990–91 to 15% in 2022–23[1]. Though being one of the highest horticulture producers in the world (record production of 351.92 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables as per GOI in 2022–23 [2] while using 13.1% of the gross cropped area [3]), Indian horticulture has been grappling with some chronic issues such as irrigation management, erratic weather patterns, dropping quality, reduced yield, soil fertility, disease infestations, and many more.

Challenges Faced by Indian Growers

The emerging trend of exodus of youth from farming since 1991 has brought a looming question over the ROI of farming. Now, agriculture is becoming a survival challenge making rural life more vulnerable and hence forcing the youth to migrate. Growers grapple with dual-level issues permeating throughout the macro and micro levels. The unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change and the increasing cost of cultivation clubbed with the decrease in profit margins are some of the major concerns of the growers today.

The same issue has plagued the cohort section of large-scale growers like horticulture, a USD 228 billion industry in India. Since it’s a high ROI area, the youth exodus from this farming section is still less. The growers here are becoming more & more tech-friendly, and because of this many Indian startups have started flooding the market with tech solutions for some of the major issues like irrigation, pest, and disease management.

Horticulture 4.0: Embracing Technological Revolution

Horticulture 4.0 bridges the gap between traditional practices and cutting-edge technologies, promoting sustainable and efficient farming. It emphasises precision horticulture, data-driven decision-making, and resource optimization to address the challenges of modern horticulture. Let’s see some key technologies driving this change and how they impact farming at both micro and macro levels:

Micro Level Technologies (Farm-Specific):

• IoT: A 2023 study by the National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP) in India found that 72% of growers who adopted precision agriculture sensors such as soil moisture sensors reported a reduction in water usage by 20–30%, highlighting the micro-level impact on irrigation efficiency. IoT-enabled devices play a vital role in predicting and estimating crop diseases by analysing real-time field data thus enabling growers to make data-driven decisions, optimise crop management practices, and implement timely preventive measures against pests and diseases, ultimately promoting healthier crops and sustainable horticultural practices.

• Hydroponics: India’s horticulture face is getting a data-driven facelift with hydroponics. This method uses up to 90% less water and solves water scarcity. Studies by IARI show yield increases of up to 30%, thus making hydroponics a game-changer for Indian horticulture.

• Aeroponics: Airborne cultivation has started to penetrate Indian horticulture. Here plants are grown with mist instead of soil thus reducing water usage by 95%. Combined with increased yields reported in pilot projects, this futuristic technique is sprouting as a sustainable solution for India’s horticulture sector.

• Aquaponics: Aquaponics works on a symbiotic loop between fish farming with hydroponics. It leverages fish waste to fertilise plants naturally. This closed-loop system boasts up to 70% water savings while promoting organic produce.

• Nuclear Technology: Nuclear energy has been making its way inside horticulture. It’s used for mutagenicity, pest control, increased agricultural yields, and improved post-harvest product quality.

Macro Level Technologies (Large-Scale Impact):

• Remote Sensing and Satellite Imagery: A 2022 report by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) revealed that satellite-based crop monitoring helped identify and prevent potential yield losses of up to 15% in several major crops across India, showcasing the macro-level impact on national food security.

• Ag-Drones: A 2023 joint study by ICAR and IIT Delhi estimated that drone-based pest management services can potentially save up to 30% of pesticide use on farms, contributing to a significant reduction in chemical exposure and a macro-level improvement in environmental sustainability.

• Robotics: Advanced robots, equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and actuators, are transforming horticultural practices. They aid the growers at various levels, starting from planting and harvesting to sorting and packaging with remarkable efficiency. By reducing labour costs and improving precision, these robots reduce operating costs anywhere between 15–90% while increasing productivity.

Fasal: Spearheading Horticulture 4.0

Fasal is spearheading the mitigation of issues in horticulture crops by helping growers with precision farming backed by IoT, crop sciences, and data analytics. This innovative integration empowers growers with super-smart information about their crops, offering farm-level, crop-specific, and crop-stage-specific intelligence. Fasal’s approach enables resource optimization, including water and pesticides, leading to higher farm productivity. Simultaneously, it procures high-quality, traceable produce for an end-to-end optimised value chain play.

12 Advanced Sensors: These sensors collect real-time data on various farm parameters, including soil moisture, soil temperature below the soil, air temperature, humidity, pressure, leaf wetness below the canopy, ambient light, wind parameters, and rain above the canopy, providing a micro-level understanding of the farm environment.

IoT Connectivity: Data is transmitted wirelessly to a central cloud platform for analysis, enabling real-time decision-making at the farm level.

Data Analytics and AI: Fasal has developed various agronomy models to generate crop-specific and crop stage-specific actionable intelligence. Fasal’s AI engine analyses the 52000+ data points to generate actionable insights and recommendations specific to each farm and crop stage and crop type, empowering growers with micro-level knowledge to optimise their practices.

Impacts the Fasal System has Created:

• Optimised water usage (Up to 80%) via its soil sensors. So far, Fasal has saved 82.8 billion litres of water in horticulture.
• Slashed Chemicals usage by 1.27 lakhs kg through Fasal’s targeted pest control strategies, minimising environmental impact at the micro level.
• Cost Savings (Up to 50%) are achieved by Fasal users through efficient resource management, leading to improved farm income at the micro level.
• Not only water and chemicals, but Fasal has also ensured that the GHG emissions are reduced by 54,965 MT till December 2023.

Conclusion:

One of the immediate problems India is set to face in the coming years is to accommodate the growing population, which is projected to reach 166.8 crore by 2050 according to the United Nations World Population Prospects-2022. Therefore, there is a need to analyze, decide, and act better by increasing production and decreasing the losses in agriculture. This is only possible via technological interventions.

By harnessing the power of technology and data analytics, Fasal is empowering Indian growers to make informed decisions at the micro level, leading to significant improvements at the macro level. This translates to a more sustainable, productive, and profitable future for agriculture in India.