Agriculture Research

1. Major Trends in the Digital Transformation of Agriculture

The digitalization of the agro-industrial complex is a global process, during which the traditional way
of agricultural production is replaced by a new one. Information resources are being formed, the
collection, synthesis and adaptation of databases, applied software products and recommendations for
improving the efficiency of agricultural production are taking place. The use of digital transformation
technologies in agriculture is relevant and is becoming part of a competitive business. The article
describes the main trends in digital transformation in agriculture. The main trends in the use of
intelligent innovations are precision farming technologies, cloud services of agricultural enterprise
management, monitoring and accounting systems. The tasks and directions of digitalization of
agricultural production have been defined. The research subject: relations, processes and mechanisms
of digitization of agrarian sector of economy. Methods of research: analysis, synthesis, and
generalization. Objective of the research: analysis of the current state of agricultural digitalization,
identification of defining directions in the process of digital transformation and prospects of new
technologies application in agriculture.

Reference:

Rimma, Z., Marina, T., Olga, R., Andrey, C., & Albina, S. (2020, March). Major Trends in the Digital
Transformation of Agriculture. In “New Silk Road: Business Cooperation and Prospective of Economic
Development”(NSRBCPED 2019) (pp. 271-275). Atlantis Press.

2. Transformation in Practice: A Review of Empirical Cases of Transformational Adaptation

in Agriculture Under Climate Change
Incremental adaptation may be inadequate to deal with rapid shifts and tipping points for food
production under climate change. The concepts of transformative and transformational adaptation have
emerged in recent years to address the need for major, non-marginal transitions in sectors, such as
agriculture in response to climate change. However, there is less empirical evidence of transformation in
practice. Here we use a simple semi-quantitative definition to identify recorded cases of
transformational adaptation in response to climate change. A structured search of academic literature
found 23 empirical case studies that meet our criteria for transformation of agriculture under climate
change: a response to climate risks along with a redistribution of at least a third in the primary factors of
production (land, labor, capital) or the outputs and outcomes of production over a time period of 25
years or less. The case studies offer experience-based lessons on managing transformative processes in
agriculture at all four stages of the adaptation cycle: understanding goals and objectives, developing a
vision and pathway, implementing adaptation actions, and monitoring, evaluating and learning. In
general, the case-study processes of transformation have diverged from well-managed, inclusive
approaches based on foresight and continual learning. Our review provides little early evidence that
transformative adaptation processes in response to climate change have generated more resilient
agricultural systems or improvements in governance. Governments and development partners could
improve the effectiveness of outcomes through providing more comprehensive and long-term
approaches to adaptation planning alongside financial and technical assistance, within a framework that
rewards farms as multi-functional systems.

Reference:

Vermeulen, S. J., Dinesh, D., Howden, S. M., Cramer, L., & Thornton, P. K. (2018). Transformation in
practice: a review of empirical cases of transformational adaptation in agriculture under climate change.
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2, 65.

3. Sustainable agriculture and food security

Agriculture is both a cause and solution to environmental problems. Agriculture is linked to biodiversity
loss and climate change. However, sustainable agriculture also has the unique potential to mitigate
climate change and strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change. Food security is monitored in
near-real time by different organizations and initiatives at the international, national, and regional scale.
These platforms work by creating the infrastructure for distinct groups of stakeholders to come together
and work hand-in-hand to solve the economic, social, and environmental challenges that affect them all.
Vision for sustainable food and agriculture is therefore important for the world in which food is
nutritious and accessible for everyone and natural resources are managed in a way that maintain
ecosystem functions to support current as well as future human needs. The present chapter illustrates
effect of climate change and insecurity in agriculture in the view of food security.

Reference:

Umesha, S., Manukumar, H. M., & Chandrasekhar, B. (2018). Sustainable agriculture and food security.
In Biotechnology for sustainable agriculture (pp. 67-92). Woodhead Publishing.

4. Green technology: an eco-friendly approach towards sustainable agriculture

Indiscriminate use of agrochemicals for agriculture practices such as pest control, weed control,
increasing soil fertility etc. may cause some undesirable effects not only to the agricultural
ecosystem but also to human health due to persistent in nature. This led to the need for curtail our
dependency on chemical based agro products and search for alternatives, which are
environmentally feasible. In this regard, sustainable agriculture plays a vital role worldwide as it
offers the potential to meet the present agricultural needs. It is also an alternative to upgrade the
national economy without degrading the environmental quality. Green technology also an eco-
friendly way and ensures safe and healthy agricultural outputs for mankind. The contribution of
green technology towards sustainable development in the agricultural sector has been described in
the present paper. It also an attempt to elaborate the role of green technology along with how it
would be helpful in the sustainable development.

Reference:
Dwivedi, N., Kumar, P., Dwivedi, S. K., Kumar, P., Sonowal, K., & Singh, J. (2017). Green technology: an
eco-friendly approach towards sustainable agriculture. G-Journal of Environmental Science and
Technology, 4(4), 31-33.

5. Biofertilizers, Impact on Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity under Sustainable Agriculture

Biofertilizers, a sustainable eco-friendly agricultural approach to crop improvement are used to

supplement chemical fertilizers mainly to maintain soil fertility. Continuous application of
expensive chemical fertilizers causes reduction of organic matter content in soil and also
microbial activity drastically. Biofertilizers are organic, bio-degradable. They contain micro-
organisms, provide nutrients viz., N, P, K and other nutrients, antibiotics, hormones like auxins,
cytokinins, vitamins which enrich root rhizosphere. The present article highlights biofertilizer
mediated crop functional such as plant growth and productivity, nutrient profile, plant
protection and there by crop improvement. The knowledge gained from the literature appraised
here in will help us to understand the physiological bases of biofertilizers towards sustainable
agriculture in reducing problems associated with the use of chemicals fertilizers.

Reference:
Yadav, K. K., & Sarkar, S. (2019). Biofertilizers, impact on soil fertility and crop productivity under
sustainable agriculture. Environment and Ecology, 37(1), 89-93.