Agricultural production is the cornerstone of food security, nutrition security, sustainable development & poverty alleviation in India. The agriculture sector contributes approximately 18 percent of the total gross domestic product (GDP) and almost 40% of total NDP (Net Domestic Product). Nearly 64% of the total workforce is employed in horticulture or agribusiness-based businesses. But there is still a lot of potential in agriculture that hasn’t been channeled. In India’s rural areas, farmers are producing the bulk of the country’s food. But they are falling behind because of a myriad of challenges that they face, due to both internal and external factors. Challenges such as limited access to technology, market monopoly, seasonal shifts, inequitable information flow, and more, that are affecting their overall growth. Tech might just be the solution to all farm issues. New technology in agriculture could help farmers forecast climate more accurately, reduce water usage, increase yields and boost their net profits. As per an estimate, the use of new technology in Indian agriculture can help in saving $2 billion in a year with every farmer saving $16 each. The use of various technologies in agriculture is bringing about a paradigm shift in agriculture, changing the way people farm in turn contributing to the increased agricultural productivity.
HOW NEW TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE HELP INDIAN FARMERS
Utilization and adoption of new technology in the ag space has been far behind the curve compared to other sectors. The recent surge in smartphone usage in rural areas has helped the agribusiness sector take its first concrete steps towards technology adoption. Leveraging technology in agriculture can help farmers not only solve their ongoing problems, but also learn about new technologies that will help them automate their farms. Let’s look at how technology can help farmers in some key high-impact areas across pre- and post-harvest:
Utilization and adoption of new technology in the ag space has been far behind the curve compared to other sectors. The recent surge in smartphone usage in rural areas has helped the agribusiness sector take its first concrete steps towards technology adoption. Leveraging technology in agriculture can help farmers not only solve their ongoing problems, but also learn about new technologies that will help them automate their farms. Let’s look at how technology can help farmers in some key high-impact areas across pre- and post-harvest:
MODERN AGRICULTURE TECHNIQUES IN INDIA
Genetic manipulation: Modern agriculture has crop and livestock breeding methods that most farmers are looking for. Generally, hybrid seeds are used. This is where two or more species of plants are used to produce a higher quality offspring. Genetic engineering is another specialization, where molecular building blocks are developed.
Intensive farming: Proper soil aeration to improve air circulation in the soil is important. Therefore, for a greater yield of farm produce, it is necessary to do excessive tilling of the land. Regular deep and whole-land cultivation is a first-rate structure of farming.
Monoculture: Monoculture is the growth of only one type of crop on a given plot of land. It makes land-farming easy. Since the crop to be planted is of the same type, the land is tilled in the same way. This makes land-farming and management very simple.
Usage of Synthetic Fertilizers: Utilizing fertilizers to increase the fertility of the land one plans to farm is a big deal. Over the years, over prolonged periods, repeated uses of land led to a plateau in the fertility of the land. Since tilling the land is an old fashioned technique because there was not enough land to go around, using fertilizers has helped.
Irrigation technologies: Water supply is one of the most important factors in determining the survival of plants. Insufficient rainfall has a tendency to be insufficient for crop production. So, top techniques are being deployed on the ground to address this problem.
Chemical pest control: Pests should range from bugs that eat young vegetation and their leaves to rodents like moles and squirrels, or animals that are wild or domesticated. When used correctly, pesticides yield results. This reduces the invasion of vegetation by pests for the purpose of producing healthy, productive plants.
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