AET Oct Dec 2023 Mail

Agricultural Engineering Today | 47 (4)
ISSN (Print): 0970-2962 | ISSN (Online): 2230-7265 | Vol. 47, No. 4 | October - December 2023 www.isae.in
ISSN (Online): 2230-7265
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
... for a smarter tomorrow !!
INDIAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS

...Connecting Engineers
1 in Agriculture
2
From the
Editor-in-Chief
Precision Farming... Smart Farming!
Precision Farming refers to the precise application of agricultural inputs with respect to
soil,weather and crop need in order to improve productivity, quality, and profitability in agricul-
ture. It is a modern agriculture practice involving the use of technology in agriculture like remote
sensing, GPS and GIS for improving productivity and profitability. It enables farmers to use crop
inputs more efficiently including pesticides, fertilizers, tillage and irrigation water. More effective
utilization of inputs will bring in more crop yield and quality without polluting the environment
and will result in sustainable agriculture and sustainable development.
Advantages of precision farming

• Enhance agricultural productivity and prevent soil degradation for sustainability
• Reduce excessive chemical usage in crop production
• Optimization of water consumption
• GPS allows geo-tagging and mapping of agricultural fields, soil characteristics and yield
• Improve quality, quantity and reduced cost of production of crops
• Protect environment by preventing nitrate leaching and groundwater contamination
• Better resource management and hence reduce wastage of resources
How could India benefit from precision farming?

• Refinement and wider application of precision agriculture technologies in India can help in
reducing production costs, increasing productivity and better utilization of natural resources.
• It has the ability to revolutionize modern farm management in India through improvement in
profitability, productivity, sustainability, crop quality, environmental protection, on-farm qual-
ity of life, food safety and rural economic development.
• Site-specific application of irrigation in wheat of Punjab and Haryana, pesticides in cotton and
fertilizers applications in oil palm plantation in South India, and coffee and tea garden of east-
ern India can highly reduce production costs and also reduce environmental loading of chemi-
cals.
• It can increase irrigation efficiency when water resources are low.
• Farmers can use forecast and mitigate problems like water stress, nutrient deficiency, and
pests/diseases.
• It also increases opportunities for skilled employment in the agriculture sector
Way Forward
• Low-cost sensors are required to monitor soil nutrients, soil moisture, pests and diseases. Wire-
less sensors will hold the key to precise nutrient and water applications. Indigenous manufac-
turing of such sensors needs to be promoted.
• UAVs (Drones) with appropriate sensors be used for a quick survey to identify within field vari-
ations in nutrient status, as well as pest infestation for timely action. This is cost-effective and
ecofriendly. An appropriate power source for drones, however, needs to be defined.
• Precision Agriculture Service Providers for popularizing and scaling up Precision Farming. The
industry, scientists, technologists, academicians, and other stakeholders have to work in uni-
son to develop Decision Support Systems for empowering farmers to take informed decisions
in real time.
Happy reading
3
Bimal Kumar
Prasoon Verma
T.R. Kesavan
Editorial Board
Devinder Dhingra
Jatindra K. Sahu
P.R. Jayan
R.K. Srivastava
Publication Enquiries
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4
CONTENT
37
From the President Precision Agriculture: A Path to
01
Precision Agriculture – Opportunities Sustainable Food Production!!
& Challenges Deepak Pareek
Dr. S.N. Jha, Deputy Director General (Agricultural
39
Engineering), ICAR & President ISAE, New Delhi STARTUPS - In Harmony for a
Smart Future
03
Agam Khare
Pioneering Precision Agriculture
42
Ajit B. Jain
Boost Crop Yield With
Agri-Intelligence
07
Mohit Pande
A Strategic View Point of Indian
Agriculture
45
Kumar Bimal Precision Farming -
The Modern Approach
Ananda Verma
11
Precision Farming -
47
For Climate Resilience AI-Powered Localization: Revolutionizing
Kaushal Jaiswal the Way We Communicate
Miss Amrit Warshini
13 ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana
50
Food Safety Management Systems –
A brief overview
Devinder Dhingra
17 National Smart Irrigation

Summit 2023
53
Precision Agriculture: Nurturing
Growth in the Digital Era
Himani Shah
19
Only Smart Farming Can Transform
55
Agriculture BUNDELKHAND - Vertical Farming
Primal Oswal
for Escalated Farm Revenue
R. K. Singh
21
Precision Agriculture in India: Seizing
57
Practical Opportunities and Addressing Protected Cultivation of
Key Challenges in Micro Irrigation Off-Season Vegetables
Shrikant Goenka P. K. Singh
23
Improving Micronutrients Diversity in
63
Rice Through Food-to-Food Fortffaction The Evolution of Cotton Harvesting:
Dr Manish Tiwari, Manish Kumar and Prof Jatindra K Sahu
A Critical Review of Contemporary
Technologies
27
Sharanbasava, Amit Kumar and Devanand Maski
Precision Agriculture -
Opportunities & Challenges
67
Dr. Dinesh Kumar Chauhan
Farm Robots: A New Reality for India
30
Precision Agriculture: Opportunities & Agriculture
Challenges Dr Kishore Chandra Swain
Sanjay Borkar
31
Tractor-trailers as a transportation
mean:Safety aspects
Mude Arjun Naik, Adarsh Kumar, K N Agarwal and S Leela Jyothi
5
From the President Agricultural Engineering Today | 47 (4)
Precision Agriculture –
Dr. S. N. Jha
President, ISAE &
DDG (Agricultural Engineering), ICAR
Indian Agriculture is now lesson worthy etc. The “right manner”. The precision
growth story for the world. It is now agriculture however has become more
feeding the world population not by sophisticated and complex than before
filling stomach only but also providing because of rapid growth in invention
nutritional and health securities. Four and innovations of new technologies,
“Cs” Climate change, Conflict between tools and techniques.
the nation, and COVID or similar
pandemic, and Change in food habits I see great opportunities for both
(life styles and willingness of youth for researchers and the precision
not doing agriculture in the traditional agricultural techniques adopting
way) are affecting agriculture communities across the globe. The
adversely. Maintaining production development and the delivery parts
and productivity are the challenges. To have wide gap in India. Looking the
mitigate these challenges, the advent gaps Government of India in last budget
of precision agriculture occurred announced several schemes such as
about three and half decades ago. It Kisan drones, Agritech start-ups, centre
has capacity to increase production, of excellence of AI in Agriculture etc.
productivity, reduce input costs and head of precision agriculture. The These precision practices differ from
increase farmers and all stakesholders’ term precision agriculture is defined in one place to another place, depending
profits substantially. According to study many ways, but the most accepted and upon the creative mind-set of farmers,
got conducted by the Department of appropriate one is that consist of several practitioners, scientists and consultants
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, “R”s of Precision Agriculture. Robert local to the area of interest. Several
Govt. of India, mechanization, which et al. (1994) proposed three “R”s, the techniques and tools for both pre-
is an essential part of precision Right time, the Right amount and the and post-production agriculture have
agriculture,saves 15 – 20% seeds, Right place. Later, the International been developed (Figs. 1 - 3), however
fertilizers and 20-30% time, increases Plant Nutrition Institute added another it may require training/calibration and
germination by about 25%, reduces “R” to that list, “the Right Source”, validations for specific work for specific
weeds and labour about 20-40% and and more recently, Khosla (2008) region. Indigenous development of
enhances cropping intensity by 5-10% proposed an additional “R”, the Right core sensors for such precision tools
and yield 13 -23%. manner. For example, in precision and machinery are very rare for both
nutrient management, “Right manner”, pre- and post-production agriculture
The mechanized agriculture now has refers to the method of placement of in the country. Opportunities and
turned towards automation and IoT nutrient in the soil, (i.e.) broadcast requirements of precision agriculture
based agriculture and more so in the versus banding, dribbling, injecting, in the country are therefore enormous.
developed countries under the broad
https://doi.org/10.52151/aet2023474.1683 Received 22/10/2023 Accepted 01/12/2023
1
From the President Agricultural Engineering Today | 47 (4)
Precision agriculture holds great

promise, yet its uptake is still relatively
slow. The adaptation of emergent
technology to agricultural practices
will allow for optimized farming and
budgets to be tightly met with efficient
methods of agriculture. However, as this
is a new industry there are a number of
challenges to be met in the future. For
precision farming to meet its potential,
these challenges need to be overcome.
Fig. 1. CIAE-Site Specific Chemical sprayer
Precision Agriculture in our country Inadequate indigenous manufacturing,

amongst researchers mostly focuses on 9. Disjointed efforts between the
five types of techniques: GPS (Global stakeholders, and 10. Whoever see,
Positioning System), Computers, all have started talking and working
GIS (Geographic Information in precision agriculture, that makes
System), RS (Remote Sensing) and real expert in precision agriculture,
application control. Besides, the unnoticed and they hardly get attention.
technological innovations available Precision agriculture actually is hard-
to the modern farmer, they are arial core engineering job, while others are
and auto orthomosaic maps,phytogeo supportive as per needs. The policy
morphological approach and makers and funding agencies should
prescriptive planting, The Internet of see these aspects before approval for
Things, phytobiome, plant phenotyping real and accelerated development and Fig. 2. Indigenous hand held mango maturity
technological platforms etc. are broadly adoption of precision agriculture in our and ripeness level tester
talked. But all these are hardly having country.
connects with enabling or delivering
tools and devices developments. Often
digital agriculture, application of IT
and statistical tools are misunderstood
as precision agriculture, while these
may be a small part of developing
precision tools and techniques. There
are several challenges in developing the
precision agriculture tools and their
application in our country. Some of
them are: 1. Standardizing technologies
across platform, 2. Connectivity and
compatibility across the tools, devices
and machinery. 3. Big and quality data
collection, their management and skill Fig. 3. Apple harvesting based on maturity using robot in Australia
( from website accessed on 9/11/2-23)
of analysis and correct use, 4. Lac of
scalability, 5. Lack of trained manpower,
6. Mushrooming precision agriculture
apps/digital tools pretending as
precision agriculture tool and lack
of test their standards and codes, 7.
2
Pioneering Precision
Agriculture
Ajit B. Jain
Joint Managing Director - Jain Irrigation Systems Limited,
Jalgaon, Maharashtra
ajit@jains.com
I. INTRODUCTION In order to make agriculture smarter,

Agriculture is a one of the essential Jain Irrigation Systems Limited is
sectors to meet the food, nutritional doing extensive research in the area
security of the people and provide of Precision farming which includes
livelihood, income in rural areas of Internet of Things (AgIOT), Remote
India. Issues concerning agriculture Sensing, Data Analytics, Machine
have been always hindering the Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
development of the country. The
only solution to this problem is II. THE OPPORTUNITIES OF
precision agriculture by modernizing PRECISION FARMING
the current traditional methods With the global population projected
of agriculture. Irrigation is a to exceed 9 billion by 2050, it will
fundamental need for the survival be critical to optimize agricultural
of farmers as it provides water (life over the years. The water scarcity, production and food supply chains
blood of crops) to the growing plants decreasing cultivable land, and lower to more efficiently produce and
and with technologies like drip or productivity are adding to the woes of deliver food, fiber and fuel to meet
sprinkler irrigation farmers can also the agricultural community in India, growing demand. This goal is further
supply nutrients through water. Plant and emphasize the need for a change complicated by climate change and
protection is also possible by adding in the sector. Drip irrigation is a urbanization. Precision Farming will
certain herbicides, fungicides and technology that delivers to each plant be an essential component of the
pesticides through water which can the amount of water and fertilizers second green revolution that will be
be applied through drip or through that it needs, when it needs and where required to meet these needs.
sprinkler irrigation methods. India it needs them. Thus, it enables farmers
is one of the most water-challenged to double their yields while using AgIOT and Machine Learning, which
countries in the world, with 16 percent only 50% of the water required with are essential components of precision
of the world’s population and access traditional irrigation methods and at farming, are already used by many
to only 4 percent of the world’s water the same time increases the efficiency countries and commodity markets
resources. With more than 90 percent of other farm inputs like fertilizers, for the early detection of disruptions
of the freshwater withdrawals going to pesticides, labour etc. India has more in supply chains for commodity
agriculture, and following the erratic than 140 million hectares (Ha) of crops such as wheat, rice, corn, and
monsoon and farmer’s traditional net cultivated area, and around 45 soybean. It further developed with
use of inefficient flood irrigation – percent of the area is irrigated. As of advances in remote sensing data
including for growing water-hungry now, just about nine million Ha is collection, including improved spatial
crops like paddy, cotton and sugarcane under micro irrigation, of which drip and temporal resolution, spectral
– groundwater levels have fallen irrigated area is about four million Ha. resolution, variety of sensor platforms

3
(e.g. satellite, aerial, ground-based), can play a major role in procurement Predictive: A predictive analysis using
etc. A recent congressional reception of such agricultural inputs. historic datasets as well as integrated
also reported that precision agriculture soil, crop, weather and market models
has shown promise in increasing on- Food processing companies like Jain may forecast outcomes such as crop
farm yields. In addition, there is a Irrigation, need to carefully monitor yields and food insecurity. Predictive
potential of increasing farm profits per the qualitative and quantitative yields analytics can also be used to improve
acre via prescriptive farming that uses of the agriculture produce they process, decision making to forecast spread and
predictive modeling to optimize farm Also need to observe the effects of limit the impact of infectious agents on
management practices ranging from climatological changes on the crop crops and livestock.
customized seed planting density to yields. AI is helpful in identification of
fertilizer application based on local soil availability of quality and quantity of Proactive: A proactive level involves
characteristics and long-range weather produce. It can also help us to monitor observations of crop development
forecasts. the market rate fluctuations. For agri and stress on multiple farms over
Beyond agricultural production, IOT- finance companies, it is important large regions and time scales. Data
enabled sensors are being used to to knowthe crop health monitoring, from these observations are pooled
track food and generate data of supply proper information to limit the risk, and mined to obtain relationships
chains. Machine learning can also be fast claim settlement on the basis of between site characteristics, weather
used to improve supply chain security. satellite images. and crop performance under a range
For example, spatial data mining of management conditions. These
techniques (e.g., hotspot detection) can Similarly, spatial data mining may relationships can be used to customize
be used with data analytics to identify also help select sustainable sources in management practices and seed
crops produced in small geographic a supply-chain. In addition, detailed selection to local conditions.
regions or a set of regions that are data on consumer and market behavior
vulnerable to climate change and can be used to improve food access and In all, AI, ML and IOT based precision
natural disasters. Their supply chain nutritional outcomes, and geo-social farming tools will not only be helpful
maps can then predict geographic media can be leveraged for timely for the farmers to make the right
chokepoints of these sensitive crops detection of food contamination events decision at the right time which helps
and animal-based commodities, and control related illnesses. to increase their income but also
informing industry and consumers of generates incredible opportunities for
risks before they hit. We envision that Artificial Intelligence ag-companies to sell their product in a
will assist decision-making in better way.
AI can help to generate more business agriculture at four levels:
opportunities for ag industries. For III. INTERVENTIONS IN
example, based on satellite data and Descriptive: For precision agriculture PRECISION FARMING BY JAIN
weather forecasting or through deep applications, the aim of data collection IRRIGATION
image learning, if there is an alert for is to characterize spatial and temporal Jain Irrigation stands across the entire
specific diseases or pests, or a hotspot variability in soil, land cover, crop value chain in agriculture from farm
is generated, pesticide companies can and weather characteristics and to fork. We have our presence on the
target that area, deploy their manpower, identify stressors, traits, or infectious input side, where we supply seeds, tissue
and make the stock of required disease risk factors that need better culture plants, irrigation systems and
chemicals. Which is good for farmers management. pumps. On the farm, where we provide
too. He gets assured availability at the advisory services and on the output side,
right time, he gets better bargaining Prescriptive: Using data collected where we buy back and process fruits,
power. Moreover, he does not need to and associated maps of individual spices, onions and vegetables. Although
approach the retailer, he can get this characteristics, traits, or exposures to Precision Farming is a broad concept
pesticide at his field. This has been infectious agents, a prescriptive analysis which includes bringing precision in
tried successfully in Maharashtra is conducted to determine necessary inputs and agricultural practices for
where seed material is being supplied farm management interventions. the scope of this article, only few digital
to the farmers on their farms. FPO’s agtech solutions are described here.
4
Jain Logic - A Decision Support which can help to reduce migration.

System Platform High quality and quantity yield help to
Jain Irrigation has developed an answer the food security issue. These
advisory platform called ‘Jain Logic’. community based irrigation projects
It is an integrated automation solution are operated through a centralized
created to fulfill precise agriculture and web based irrigation management
irrigation management requirements. system running on IOT and telemetry
It includes monitoring and control concept.
devices, software applications, and
analytical intelligence for decision IV. CHALLENGES IN ADOPTION OF
support system. Under jain logic we PRECISION FARMING
are providing answers to two very While there are opportunities, there
important questions in irrigation, are challenges as well.
when to irrigate? and how much to n Accessibility to the Smart Tools:
irrigate?. We provide IOT based soil India is a diversified country. There are
moisture sensors to users and then linguistic variations, there are multiple
using machine learning models we agro-climatic zones, soil differs, crop
predict the soil moisture movement for concept can help to improve the varies hence there can not be one
the next seven days. User can prescribe current average water use efficiency solution that fits all approaches.
the band of soil moisture he wishes to of 35% to 90% by using advanced
maintain within the effective root zone irrigation techniques like drip n Scalability of the solution -
depth and he gets a proposed irrigation irrigation combined with piped This is another issue, in a country
schedule for next seven days. distribution networks. ‘Water Saving where 60 million people are farmers
is Water Generation’ , this huge saving or farm dependents, reaching them is
Resource to Root - A telemetry system in water with the help of ‘Resource to a big challenge. If we wish to penetrate
for community irrigation projects Root’ concept can help the country smart agricultural solutions among
We have done several community to bring additional command areas farmers, the first thing is to gain trust
irrigation projects in which irrigation under irrigation. Additional area in your solutions. Unfortunately,
management at the farm level is under agriculture means additional many solution providers failed to do
managed centrally. We call it the income for the farmers, availability so, leaving the farmer frustrated and
‘Resource to Root’ concept. This of livelihood within the village itself, skeptical about these tools.
n Liability of the solution -

Another issue is liability. Is an
Agtech entrepreneur ready to take
responsibility and liability of his
solution on his head? “If your advice
doesn’t work, what shall I do?” We
need to have answers for such basic
questions.
Presently there is a wide gap between

precision farming tool developers
or solution providers and the users
or farmers. Even though solutions
developed by solution providers
are reliable, precise, fitting to the
requirements, still sometimes not
getting adopted by farmers because of
5
poor understanding of other variables. For communication, GSM or RF is battery source.Theft and panel
For example, if there is advice about used. Challenge with GSM is the high maintenance is an issue with solar
the irrigation schedule on the basis of recurring cost and poor signal strength panels. With a non rechargeable
predicted soil moisture, still if the tool in remote field areas. battery, India does not produce high
has not paid attention for fertigation quality, long life batteries. We are
requirements, farmers may not use it. RF is the better solution but while depending mostly on China for this.
Or with deep image recognition, the using RF, in remote areas, sometimes With the dream of self-reliance India
solution provider has given an alert for devices are to be placed at distance we shall think of manufacturing high
pest attack but pesticides either are not from the gateway. Green crop coverage, quality, long life batteries in India.
recommended or not available then large trees, and undulations are big
such recommendations are of no use. challenges for using RF. We currently n Indigenization of the components -
use 865-867 MHz which is delicensed Our Honorable prime minister
Solution providers shall consider band in India. For agriculture, we stressed on Self-Reliance for the
multiple variables, even some need a frequency band which can country, Precision farming solutions
hyperlocal variables to provide the cover a longer distance. If we want to sometimes require sensors, electronic
advisory. This requires assistance promote IOT in agriculture, there is gateways, batteries etc. presently most
from a skilled agronomist and farmer a requirement of special delicensed of these components are imported
himself. Such solutions need time and bandwidth reserved for agriculture. It which escalates the cost of the system
patience to develop and sometimes would be better if it is below 450 MHz to such a level to make it unaffordable
become unaffordable. As we talk about with at least 1 W power and with an to the farmers. For example a reliable
accessibility of farmers, in developing external antenna. soil moisture sensor priced in the range
countries affordability comes first. of 100 to 400 USD (Rs 8000 to 30000),
n Standardization - if a farmer needs to use multiple soil
n Regulations - Each IOT based solution provider moisture sensors in his farm, it is too
There is a need for a regulating has their proprietary communication expensive for him. We as a country
authority which will scrutinize all protocols. If a farmer wants to hook up shall promote inhouse manufacturing
agtech solutions before it reaches the another sensor with it, it is not possible. of these components.
farmers. It is observed that sometimes, We shall think about a common
ag-entrepreneurs or start ups deliver communication protocol which can
half baked products. It may produce allow farmers to use any sensor with
misleading results. We shall not take any gateway. There is an ISO standard
such risk when such smart solutions ISO 21622 has tried to standardize
to agriculture are at a nascent stage. the protocols. Such standards shall be
Farmers in our country work on trust. studied and adopted in India.
If this trust is broken, it may leave him
frustrated and skeptical. n Power -
Power requirement of IOT devices
n Communication - is also a challenge. You have to either
Communication is a major challenge. use solar power or non-rechargeable
6
A Strategic View Point of

Indian Agriculture
Kumar Bimal
Agricultural Engineer- GB Pant University of Ag. & Technology, Pantnagar and MBA- IIMLucknow
Business Consultant and Head of Strategy- International Tractors Ltd, India.
Director (Industry, Start-up and Entrepreneurship) of ISAE Council
Agriculture is the most essential and as it is dependent on interplay of

noble occupation and farmers deserve innumerable natural, environmental,
our attention and gratitude with each scientific, technological, social and
meal that we eat. Agriculture plays a human factors. Depleting natural
crucial role in the Indian economy resources and climate change have
and impacts the livelihoods of about increased the challenges. Clearly,
two-thirds of the population, directly the focus has to shift to sustainable
or indirectly. The importance of agriculture growth. We have probably
agriculture is underestimated when ignored this till now and need a
it is viewed from GDP perspective-a strategic realignment immediately.
mere 15%. In reality, the balance 85% Let’s understand the situation and the
is meaningless and unachievable challenges through a few examples:
without food and nutrition sufficiency, change. India needs to continue its
that our farmers provide, to build a efforts to increase production of food, 1. As per study on Sustainability
healthy and productive India. feed and fibre to support the ever- Concerns on Sugarcane Production in
increasing population. This needs Maharashtra, India: A Decomposition
Transformation of India’s food collective efforts from all stake holders and Instability Analysis,Abnave Vikas
system from a highly deficient one namely our scientists, policy makers, B-ISBN 978-81-7791-297-5 © 2019.
in the mid-1960s to one that is industries and farmers. It , out of the total sugar mills in
surplus now is commendable. India Maharashtra state, 40 per cent mills
is now the world’s largest producer Agriculture is a very complex activity are in drought-prone districts that are
of milk, pulses and jute, and ranks
as the second largest producer of
rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut,
vegetables, fruit and cotton. It is
also one of the leading producers of
spices, fish, poultry, livestock and
plantation crops.The country still
faces several challenges in agricultural
development, including small and
fragmented landholdings, low
productivity, inadequate irrigation
facilities, and the effects of climate

7
more suited to growing oilseeds and

pulses.A lot of sugarcane cultivation is
made possible due to a better support
price and other support mechanism for
the sugarcane growers where the soil
and climatic conditions do not support
a sugarcane crop. The state’s licensing
policy is also in favour of establishing
new sugar mills or expanding the
existing capacity of mills. These state
policies have led to a rapid expansion of
sugar mills and encouraged sugarcane
production in Maharashtra along
with water exploitation in the state
(World Bank and GOI, 1998). This
situation also causes farmer distress
and industrial losses- specially during
droughts.
renewable loss in ground water volume.
2. According to the NABARD and This situation was envisaged long back As per Niti Ayog Working Paper-2023,
ICRIER, India’s top rice and wheat and huge funds were allocated in 2013 even with its small share in global
producers Punjab and Haryana- for Crop Diversification in Original exports, India is now the biggest
which contribute almost 15% of Green Revolution States (Crop exporter of virtual water, that is, the
India’s entire rice production, are Diversification Program in Haryana, water embedded in exported agri-food
also among the world’s top water-risk Punjab & Western Uttar Pradesh products.
zones for agricultural production. -GOI) to divert the area of water
Extensive investments in irrigation guzzling crop i.e. paddy to alternate 3. Another case in point is the area
and electricity infrastructure and crops. Not much has happened over under millets in Rajasthan where the
government subsidies on water and a decade. Shifting the major chunk of agroclimatic conditions are suitable
power consumption have resulted rice production to India’s central and for millets. It is notable to note that
in stickiness for paddy cultivation eastern states like Odisha, West Bengal, while the productivity of millets has
and rapid depletion of water table. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, while almost doubled, the area under millets
With the current unsustainable use encouraging kharif maize, pulses and has reduced by almost 63% in last 5
of groundwater, Punjab and Haryana cotton cultivation, in kharif season, decades. The net production of millets
could again become a desert in 25 in the rice-growing regions of Punjab has grown marginally. There was a
years, a draft report of the Central and Haryana, could help prevent an spike in the area sown with the Indian
Ground Water Board (North- impending water crisis by 2030. Government’s initiative to celebrate
Western region), has warned.As per a 2023 as International Year of Millets.
Punjab Agricultural University study To add to these woes, Punjab farmers However, there is continued focus and
regarding groundwater fluctuations are diversifying to spring maize which efforts for growth of millet production
over the span of 28 years (1988-2016), is adding to further depletion of and consumption.
there has been an average fall of 51 ground water table. Experts estimate
cm annually. Separate reports by the that spring maize was cropped in Clearly, all agencies need to get
National Aeronautics and Space about one lakh hectares in 2023, which together to address this situation.
Administration (NASA), National is almost double of last year. State Niti Ayog in its working paper (2023)
Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, and agriculture department and Punjab -From Green Revolution to Amrit Kaal
Indian Institute of technology (IIT) Agricultural University (PAU) experts Lessons and Way Forward for Indian
Kharagpur, at different points of time strongly favour legislation to ban the Agriculturediscusses many such
have highlighted the concern over non- water-guzzler ‘spring maize’ in Punjab. issues. If one approaches our issues
8
and opportunities from a strategic

lens, it will be evident that India has
most diverse agro-climatic regions and
we erred in not growing crops as per
those in many instances. If we start
cropping based on these agroclimatic
conditions, a lot of our issues will get
solved without any technological or
costly intervention- and this will be
sustainable too. A major policy change
will be needed to adopt this strategy.
This is a big challenge due to political
and social implications. However,
there is no choice left if we have to take communication technology (ICT) and our citizens. A strong political will is
care of our coming generations. Let’s agri business which have the potential essential for such a major change. Our
not find solutions to our mistakes, lets to transform agriculture production. farmers are hard-working, receptive
undo what we can. We are a global IT and technology hub and resilient. Aligning them will be a
and Indian agriculture can gain a lot by big piece of this change management.
Once we have optimised the cropping harnessing this prowess. Some of the Policy measures to de-risk the farmers
pattern, the next step is to improve areas that may be addressed through from initial losses and uncertainties
productivity by recommending and this are: will be essential for helping adoption.
promoting better seeds, fertilisers, • Technology can help in providing In addition to this, a lot of efforts are
machines and agronomic practices. farmers with real-time information needed in extension activities, demo
India, with one of the strongest National on weather patterns, market prices, farms, education and hand holding
Agricultural Research Systems in the and crop health. This can help farmers of farmers. While digital penetration
world, is well placed to take care of make informed decisions about crop has helped in extension, the role of
such demands. Here again, we need management and improve their overall physical efforts can not be undermined.
a policy shift from subsidy towards productivity. Agricultural Universities and Krishi
investment in Agri R&D-(Gulati et al. • Drones and satellite imagery can be Vigyan Kendras (KVK) will have to
2018). In FY 2020–21, as per the Union used for mapping and surveying farms take-up this responsibility. Various
budget, India’s expenditure on Agri- to help farmers identify problem areas public and private industries need to be
R&D (ICAR budget) was a meagre and take corrective action. Similarly, enrolled and their CSR budgets need to
INR 7762 crore (about USD 1.1 billion) smart irrigation systems can optimize be ploughed back into such efforts. If
(Government of India 2021a). Thus, water usage and minimize wastage. we are able to manage all this, there are
there lies a huge scope for achieving • Technology can help farmers access high chances of success and ushering
higher growth momentum, as the better market information and connect India into the Next Green Revolution.
marginal returns from expenditures directly with buyers, eliminating The question is- Do we really have any
on agricultural research are almost 5 to intermediaries and reducing other option?
10 times higher than through subsidies transaction costs.
(Fan et al. 2007). If agricultural growth
is to provide food security at a national Realigning our priorities will need
level, then the expenditure on Agri- involvement and support from each
R&D needs at least to be doubled and every stake holder. Agriculture is
immediately (Paroda 2019) a State Subject but alleviating hunger
is everybody’s moral responsibility. A
While we have been working on single state may not be able to ensure
traditional ways of agriculture, new food security on their own-however,
opportunities have arisen in the sphere all states together can ensure food
of science and technology, information security as well as nutrition security for
9
Status of Tractor Industry

in India 2023
In India, tractor is a dominant power source in farm mechanization since 1991-92. Tractor population has
increased sharply from 4.84 million in 2011-12 to 9.75 million in 2022-23 at compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 6.5%.During 2022-23, the command area per tractor was 14 ha and likely to further come down
with increase in population of tractors. India is the largest producer of tractors in the world by volume. The
export of tractors has almost doubled from 2011-12 to 2022-23 at CAGR of 5.88%.
Year Production Domestic sale Export Population*
2011-12 706332 639896 66436 4843000
2012-13 637471 578690 58781 4713402
2013-14 759478 696801 62677 5085384
2014-15 612994 551463 75376 5829511
2015-16 570791 493764 77485 6087673
2016-17 691361 582844 78351 6463265
2017-18 796873 711478 85395 7018130
2018-19 898052 780032 92233 7606529
2019-20 777752 705011 76054 8062463
2020-21 965231 899407 88621 8665790
2021-22 961100 842266 128636 9155688
2022-23 1071310 945311 124542 9755827
Source: Tractor Manufactures Association, TMA;

*Estimated based on historical data
10
Precision Farming -
For Climate Resilience
Kaushal Jaiswal
Precision agriculture is a crop & site-specific farm management system to

ensure crop and the soil receive specific and exact amount of water, nutri-
tion & pest management techniques Or in other words PA is a new ad-
vanced method in which farmers provide optimized inputs such as water
and fertilizer to improve quality and yield.
Technology has been changing fertilizer dosage, irrigation, and all • Soil Sensors
across all industries and mainly other farm production aspects for • Robotics
driven by climate and environment maximising production with optimal • Artificial Intelligence.
sustainability and you will observe the use of resources. • Drones
similar technological advancement in
agriculture also. After ensuring the Let’s do the detailed analysis of this Through these technologies the
food security with green revolution, technology and understand why it is farmer can get
precision agriculture probably will the future of sustainable agriculture • Weather forecast.
bring the most prominent change in and how big is this opportunity and • Diseases and pests forecast in
this field and is going to be the future the challenges associated with this. advance.
of farming. As technology progresses • Nutritional requirements.
and becomes more affordable for The concept of precision farming • Soil and Plant moisture.
farmers, we can expect to see the mass started in the 1980s in the USA. And • Crop monitoring
adoption in coming years. lot of new technologies developed over • Yield estimation.
the years and have become the part of it,
But what exactly is precision but basic concept remains unchanged, With such information farming
agriculture? The definition comes which is to optimize and improve becomes more predictable and
from the word itself: It is the use traditional farming methods through farmers can make better and more
of science and technology in farm technology. Some of the technologies precise decisions on farm production.
management for being precise in all which are being used now are- These technologies enable farmers
farming practices, from selection of • Remote Sensing to take a holistic and more informed
seeds, disease and pest management, • IOT (Internet of Things) decisions.
11
Major advantages of Challenges of Precision demonstration and promotion by

Precision Agriculture Agriculture governments, private entrepreneurs,
Cost Reduction Here are some of the challenges of universities, research institutes and
When you use precise amount of precision farming- all other stake holders. Most of the
water/nutrition and crop protection Cost farmers don’t know how or when to
chemicals then you avoid wastages and The main challenge is the cost. Since use these new technologies effectively.
at the same time you save on energy farmer requires lot of tools and There isn’t enough skilled work
cost, labour cost and particularly applications for precision agriculture force for either providing services or
when you get an advance warning for and these modern equipment like conducting trainings for the farmers.
disease/insect occurrence then you can drone, IOT devices and sensors are There is a lack of eco system for quick
precautionary measures to safeguard expensive and in current scenario this adoption.
the crops, which always better and farming technology is better suited
cheaper option than the cure. in large-scale rather than small-scale Lack of Data
agriculture. I just want to give an You require large amount of data to
Sustainability & Climate example of VRT technology (Variable use precision agriculture tools, lack
Resilience Rate Technology) which allows of authentic open source data is one
Precision agriculture can reduce the use farmers to control the application of of the big challenges for adoption of
of irrigation water/ chemical fertilizers the number of inputs such as fertilizers, Precision Agriculture, it takes years to
and other inputs hence helpful seeds, and chemicals. This is done have a full-cycle data set. This means
preventing ground water pollution for specific field and crop depending you will use the initial years for data
which happens due to leaching of these on a field’s characteristics and crop collection until you can implement
chemicals and it also helps in improving requirement whose data is gathered the system. Collecting and analysing
soil health. At the same time it also using different precision farming tools. the data is time consuming and very
helps in decarbonization in two ways - demanding, especially when you do
a). You are using less fossil fuel and The technology requires a computer, not have trained work force.
less energy consumption in farm controller, software, and a differential
operations. global positioning system (DGPS). Despite having few challenges
b). You are producing lesser chemical Further, two approaches are used. Precision Agriculture is the future of
fertilizers and crop protection • Map-based VRT. Uses previously sustainable agriculture and which will
chemicals. generated maps to determine input help farmers to take informed decisions
And at the same time, it supports in application. to grow quality food and maximize
doing climate resilient agriculture • Sensor-based VRT. Provides the yield by optimizing the resources,
because it’s ability to anticipate, real-time examination of the soil to hence making the earth a better place
prepare, and respond to hazardous determine input application. to live for future generations.
events, trends, or disturbances related But cost of adoption is too high for a
to climate, hence giving a chance to normal farmer.
the farmers to mitigate the risks due to
unfavourable climatic conditions like Lack Of Domain Knowledge
drought or excess rainfall. and Unavailability of Skilled
Workforce
Increased Product Quality Due to lack of knowledge and
Precision agriculture helps increase information many farmers are not
your farm’s produce quality by meeting aware about the efficacy and benefits
the exact crop requirements. of precision agriculture. So at this
Therefore, it also helps you meet moment they are not very keen to
high-quality marketable produce that invest in this technology. It may take
would otherwise be difficult with some time have the mass adoption
conventional farming methods. and this will require lot of technology
12
ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana
Introduction
The ICAR – Central Institute of
Post-Harvest Engineering and
Technology (CIPHET), established
in 1989 at Ludhiana, undertakes
lead research in the area of the
post-harvest engineering and value
addition technologies appropriate to
agricultural production catchments
and agro-processing industries. The
institute is also engaged in human
resource and entrepreneurship
development related to post-harvest
operations performed on-farm as
well as off-farm in order to minimize
the post-harvest losses and empower
the rural community with additional Environment Control, Automation
income. ICAR-CIPHET has two All and Sensor Technology,Food Grain Thrust Areas
India Coordinated Research Projects & Oilseed Processing Division, • Application of cutting-edge
(AICRP) namely, AICRP on Post- Horticulture Crop Processing, and technologies in post-harvest sector
Harvest Engineering & Technology Transfer of Technology. The institute (covering smart bio-degradable
(PHET) and Plastic Engineering is having a Regional station at Abohar, packaging and innovative
in Agricultural Structures and Punjab working on post-harvest storage solutions for shelf-life
Environment Control (PEASEM) mechanization and processing of enhancement of agricultural
with 31 and 14 cooperating centres, horticulture crops. produce)
respectively, located all over India. It • Modern structures and handling
is also the coordination unit of one Mandate protocols for crops, animals and
Consortium Research Project (CRP) • Research on post-harvest fishery
on Secondary Agriculture (SA). processing, preservation, storage • Application of sensors and
ICAR-CIPHET and its schemes are and value addition of agricultural robotics for automation of post-
catering to all kinds of farm produce commodities. harvest technologies
viz. cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, • Human resource and • Value addition to agro and agro-
vegetables, specialty crops, fish and entrepreneurship development processing by-products
animal products. in post-harvest engineering and • Training and human resource
technology. development & knowledge
The Institute has strong repository
multidisciplinary scientific base with Mission
sufficient expertise in engineering • Post-Harvest loss reduction and Institute Campus
and allied technology for carrying value addition to agricultural & Ludhiana Campus - The headquarter
out research, providing technical livestock produce, residue and of the ICAR-CIPHET is situated at
services and knowledge services and process by-products. Ludhiana, which houses four Divisions
generating relevant information for • Improvement of agricultural including Agricultural Structure and
national level policies on post-harvest structures and livestock housings Environmental Control, Food Grains
agriculture sector. The Institute at for higher system efficiency. and Oilseeds Processing, Automation
present is operating with five divisions, • Quick, reliable and effective and Sensor Technology and Transfer
namely Agricultural Structures & knowledge dissemination. of Technology Division. The campus is
13
having various facilities like workshop, processing and value addition. Thus, Policy related studies and surveys
guest house, residence quarters, pilot for experimentation the laboratories • Post-harvest losses
plants, etc. are equipped with the sophisticated • Handling, procurement and stor-
research facilities and equipment, age protocols
Abohar Campus major ones like High Performance • Quality assurance in agricultural
The institute’s second campus was Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), commodities
established on 19 March 1993 at Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy • Mechanization of post-harvest sec-
Abohar, Punjab, India which is now (AAS), Raman Spectroscopy, Surface tor
Regional Station of ICAR-CIPHET. Plasmon Resonance (SPR) System, • Impact and auditing of certain ini-
It has been primarily responsible for Texture Analyzer, ZetasizerParticle tiatives affecting the post-harvest
conducting research and development Size Analyzer, Supercritical Fluid sector
activities on fruits, vegetables, and Extraction (SCFE), Gel Permeation
commercial horticultural crops. Chromatography (GPC), Rapid Testing and other Services
The mandate has widened after its Visco Analyzer (RVA), Tintometer, Post-Harvest Machinery and
redesignationas Regional Station to Thermocycler, Rheometer and many Equipment Testing Centre (PHMETC)
address post-harvest issues of arid more. PHMETC is a centre, authorized
regions. This campus also houses the Few of the concentrated developments by the Govt. of India, to ensure the
KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVK) of Fazilka are in following areas, supply of quality agricultural post-
District of Punjab which operates • Agricultural Structures harvest machinery and equipment
under administrative control of ICAR- • Environment Management to the end-users through rigorous
CIPHET, Ludhiana. • Automation and Sensor Technology testing and certification. This centre is
• Drudgery Reduction through well equipped with modern precision
Divisions Machine and Tool measuring instruments and equipment
• Agricultural Structure and • Machinery and protocols for pri- for machine and material testing.
Environment Management mary processing, storage, packag- The manufacturers of processing
(AS&EC) ing and product development: machineries mandatorily need to
• Automation and Sensor Technology  Cereals and other Food Grains get their machineries tested and
(AST)  Oilseed and Pulses certified before supplying these to the
• Food Grains and Oilseeds  Horticultural Product beneficiaries of government sponsored
Processing (FG&OP)  Fisheries Product programmes.
• Horticultural Crop Processing  Livestock Product
(HCP) • Development of test codes and Food Testing Laboratory (FTL)
• Transfer of Technology (ToT) specifications for variety of food Food Testing Laboratory is a facility
products and agro-processing ma- located in the Ludhiana campus
Infrastructure/ Facilities chineries. which serves to analyse any food
The institute has well established and
well-equipped laboratories, library,
computer hall and the workshop. It
also has unique facilities like a Post-
Harvest Machinery and Equipment
Testing Centre (PHMETC), Agri
Business Incubation (ABI) Centre,
Agro Processing Centre (APC) and
Food Testing Laboratory (FTL).
Our Services
Research and Development
The institute is doing lead researches
in post-harvest mechanization,
14
material, raw materials used for food

processing, processed foods, food
additives, condiments, etc. To provide
authentic nutritional information
about the concerned material/food.
This laboratory helps farmers, students,
entrepreneurs and food processors to
get their product/material tested at an
affordable cost.
Agri-Business Incubation Centre

(ABIC)
ABIC, at Ludhiana campus, operates
with an objective to promote setting
development. For which, institute • Specialized Training on specific
up of agri-business enterprises
having many innovative methodologies technology
based on ICAR-CIPHET developed
to train the manpower through • Handholding through providing
technologies/facilities. This centre
various online/ offline trainings to business incubation facility
extends business incubation support
farmers, entrepreneurs, students • Collaboration with Industries
to the interested and potential
and other aspiring stakeholders. The and Institutions through network
entrepreneurs/organizations [SHG/
trainings organized by the institute projects and MoU
FPO/NGO etc.] for initiating a start-
are appreciated by various community • Farmers’ First Programme
up, entrepreneurship, and business.
and getting popularity day by day. For
instance, during last five years (2018- Pilot Plants and Incubation
Agro Processing Centre (APC)
23) the institute has organized around Facility
APC is processing centre located at
120 programmes and trained ~4200 Ludhiana Campus
Ludhiana campus with its primary aim
farmers, ~980 students, ~200 officers, o Makhana Processing
to serve as a model facility for primary
and ~750 entrepreneurs including their o Groundnut Milk Processing
and secondary processing of different
exposure visits. o Tomato Processing (500 kg/h)
agricultural produces under single
o Rice Mill (500 kg/h)
roofthat can be established in rural areas
Skill Development and Outreach o Dal Mill (500 kg/h)
for farmgate processing. This centre
• Beneficiaries through Transfer of o ChilliPocessing (500 kg/h)
has basic agro-processing machineries
Technology o Millet Processing
(primary and secondary processing)
• Entrepreneurship Development
for demonstration and promotion
Programme
of farmgate processing. The facility
is frequently used for the practical
and live demonstration of basic unit
operations in primary and secondary
processing of different agricultural
commodities during training and
skill development programmes for
farmers, entrepreneurs, students
and government officials and related
stakeholders, etc.
HRD
The institute’s one more key mandate
is skill development in relevant
stakeholders and entrepreneurship
15
Makhana processing Pectin extraction from kinnow peel Production of protein isolates from de-oiled
cakes
• Other achievements of ICAR-
Indicator Till 2023 CIPHET:
Technologies devel- 99
oped Collaborative Partners
Technology commer- 62 • Institute has established linkages
cialized with IIP, PAU, TNAU, IMRC,
No. of licensees 162 TNFJU, SGAS, GADVASU, IIFPT,
Patent filed 64 C-DAC, FCI, CWC, DBT; DST;
Patent granted 29 SERB; Chhattisgarh State Minor
Cryogenic grinder
Forest Produce Co-operative
Abohar Campus
• Recommended norms for safe Federation; FCI; PM Matsyayojana;
o Amla Processing (100 kg/h)
storage of food grains in FCI and DOCA and other SAUs/ Agencies/
o Kinnow Grading and Waxing (500
CWC warehouses Ministries and Departments.
kg/h)
o Cotton Ginning (100-200 kg/h) • Established automated fumigation
chamber for treatment of grapes with Outside ICAR Funding partners
Grains Cleaning and Grading (500-600
SO2 and CO2 at Sahyadri Farmers • Contract research - ABI- NAIF,
kg/h)
Producer Company Ltd, Nashik and APEDA, FFP, CRP-SA, CWC,
standardized the treatment protocol DBT, MoCAF& PD, NASF, NICRA,
Pilot plants at ICAR-CIPHET
for export of grapes to New Zealand DRDO-LSRB, IMRC, Mumbai and
Significant Achievements
and Australia SGAS, Pune
• Conducted two studies to assess
• Developed National Database on • Consultancy projects – MEITY,
the quantitative harvest and post-
NARES Technologies in post- C-DAC Kolkata, DOCA, CGMFPF
harvest losses of major crops and
harvest sector Chhattisgarh, various developers
commodities in India
of instruments being used in Food
and allied industry.
Some prominent technologies/products
Non-destructive
quality evaluation
Wadi making machine Makhana primary roaster and popping machine of mangoes
Fat free flavoured makhana Plant based dairy analogues Makhana kheer mix
16
IRRIGATION / POLICY
75 lakh ha brought under

PMKSY – Per Drop More Crop
Micro Irrigation since 2016:
Kailash Chaudhary
Since its inception, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) which
aims to enhance water use efficiency at the farm level has covered about 1.5
crore hectares of farmland, the minister informed
Addressing the National Smart Ir- Since its inception, Pradhan Mantri The minister also shed light on the
rigation Summit 2023, organised by Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) burgeoning role of agritech startups
FICCI and the Irrigation Associa- aims to enhance water use efficiency in revolutionising Indian agricul-
tion of India, Sh Kailash Chaudhary, at the farm level and has covered ture. Over 3000 startups are current-
Union Minister of State for Agricul- about 1.5 crore hectares of farmland. ly engaged in introducing innova-
ture and Farmers Welfare, under- This substantial increase in cover- tive technologies and adopting new
scored that a notable 75 lakh hectares age reflects the Government’s com- methodologies to enhance agricul-
brought under micro irrigation since mitment to sustainable agriculture tural productivity. Chaudhary em-
2016 alone. and efficient water management, the phasised the need for collective ac-
minister emphasised. tion, urging every stakeholder in the

17
agricultural ecosystem to join hands

in tackling water scarcity issues.
Speaking at the occasion, Franklin

L. Khobung, Joint Secretary, Union
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare, stressed that 86 per cent
of the country’s available water re-
sources are being utilised for agri-
culture. Further, only 50 per cent of
the total net sown area, amounting
to 140 million hectares, is irrigated,
indicating that half of the irrigated
land in India consumes the majority
of its water resources, underscoring a
pressing need for more efficient water
management practices. He pointed
out that micro-irrigation can cover than China, which uses 385 BCM
an additional 69 million hectares in and produces 571 million tonnes of
India. Emphasising the importance foodgrains.
of industry collaboration, he noted
that micro-irrigation is an industry- Jaiswal highlighted the critical de-
driven scheme, reliant on the support crease in India’s per capita water
and innovation of the private sector. availability from over 5,000 cubic
metres at independence to just 1,500
In this regard, the joint secretary not- today, accentuating the challenges of
ed that the Ministry of Agriculture a growing population and diminish-
has revised operational guidelines ing water tables. He underscored that
to include a special purpose vehicle most of India’s irrigation depends on
(SPV) in each state. This initiative has groundwater, the highest globally,
already shown promising results in underscoring the urgency for effec-
states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. tive aquifer recharge. Advocating for
Additionally, special provisions for micro-irrigation and smart agricul-
cluster development have been intro- ture techniques, Jaiswal emphasised
duced to further enhance the efficacy tial increases in farm outputs, often these as transformative solutions for
of these efforts. exceeding 50 per cent, he stated. sustainable and efficient farming,
crucial for addressing agricultural
Shrikant Goenka, President, Irriga- Kaushal Jaiswal, Co-Chairman, challenges and achieving sustainabil-
tion Association of India& MD, Pre- FICCI National Agriculture Com- ity goals.
mier Irrigation Adritec, underscored mittee & Sr. Vice President, Irriga-
the potential of micro-irrigation as tion Association of India & MD,
a transformative solution. Capable Rivulis Irrigation India, highlighted
of saving over 50 per cent of water the critical challenge of water man-
used in agriculture, micro-irrigation agement in agriculture, comparing
enables farmers to achieve signifi- India’s water usage with China. He
cant savings – 30 per cent in fertil- noted that India uses approximately
iser and 40 per cent in labour costs. 560 billion cubic metres (BCM) of
Furthermore, the implementation of water to produce 320 million tonnes
micro-irrigation has led to substan- of foodgrains, significantly higher
18
Only Smart Farming Can

Transform Agriculture
Primal Oswal
Managing Director
Harvel Agua India Private Limited.
Agriculture, rather food production

worldwide has always been faced with
diverse challenges as the sector is
heavily reliant on factors like weather,
water, climate, soil conditions etc
to name only a few and adversity in
any of these can lead to disruption/
reduction in production. On the
other hand, growing population is
outpacing the food production to
an extent that increasing regions of
the globe are facing food shortages,
creating food security issues and
its resultant consequences. One of
the other major challenges affecting
agriculture in very significant manner
and leading to reduced production
is ‘natural disasters’ and protracted
crises including conflict and violence,
which overlap and affect agriculture
adversely; a couple of cases in point
are the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-
Gaza conflicts which have not only
affected agriculture in terms of major
production losses but have also unsurmountable issues of health and and unpredictable contamination
hugely disrupted food supply chains livelihood, the above two conflicts etc. which are being majorly
worldwide. have brought fresh challenges for highlighted as people are becoming
agriculture. more concerned about food quality
While the world was slowly coming out and safety. Paradoxically, on the one
of the residual impact of COVID-19 On the world stage, in addition to food hand the world is grappling with food
which had created an unprecedented shortages caused by low production as security issues in vast regions on the
negative situation globally impacting well as disruption of supply chains, the other hand there is increased demand
human health, agricultural activities, global farming as well as allied sectors for greater variety in food choices
economy and food security and in the are also facing many food safety in many regions since economic
case of India had created seemingly challenges like compromised quality growth, rising incomes as well as

19
rapid urbanization is influencing

people’s eating habits and they are no
longer satisfied with subsistence food
only. As a result, changes in methods
of food production and supply are
being initiated to meet the increasing
demand quickly of particular types
of food items and these supply side
issues coupled with new and emerging
bacteria, toxins and antibiotic
resistance, changes in environment,
inclusion of more imported foods is
leading to food contamination. These
challenges are rendering agricultural
production as well as food supply
chains more complex. which ensure that the Data is organized processes to reduce production risks
and accessible at all times so that and enhances the ability to foresee
As the food supply chains are getting information on all aspects including production results, ultimately leading
more and more complex, only smart financial impact can be monitored. to increased farm incomes.
farming solutions can transform the
way the entire agri supply chain is Data centrally stored on a digital IoT in agriculture involves sensors,
managed, of which smart irrigation platform makes it possible to analyse drones, and robots connected
technology is one of the foremost and identify suitable crop varieties and through the internet which function
components, including but not limited input requirements for optimization automatically and semi automatically
to use of weather data or soil moisture and profitability for varied parcels of the performing operations and gathering
data to determine the irrigation need landholding. Early detection of various data aimed at increasing efficiency
for a particular parcel of land in disruptions and application of inputs and predictability. With increasing
a specific geographical location in only in the affected region saves costs demands and shortage of labor across
consonance with crop sown. The use and other valuable resources. Use of the globe, agriculture automation and
of these technologies lead to irrigation satellite imagery techniques to monitor robots are starting to gain attention
efficiency by reducing water waste different zones in large farms and use among the farming communities
while maintaining plant health and of reliable weather forecasts maximizes worldwide.
quality. resource usage and minimize losses
which ultimately leads to good crop To meet the increased demand of
One of the other important aspects growth and higher yields. Automation quality food, Smart Farming is the
of smart faming is the increasing use of entire System increases productivity need of day. The various challenges
of Data acquired through various and cost-efficiency significantly. associated with agriculture can be
sources (historical, geographical and minimized by use of these technologies
instrumental) in the management of Increasingly, Smart farming propelled and it will definitely increase the per
farm activities. An advance technology by IoT driven agriculture is laying capita income of farmers, Improve
shall not be fully effective unless the the groundwork for a “third green human health status and makes the
same is backed by relevant and credible revolution.” Combined application economy healthier.
Data, necessary to attain actionable of information and communications
insights for managing all the operations technologies using devices such as
on the farm in a cost-effective manner, precision equipment, IoT sensors and
both pre-and post-harvest. Smart actuators, geo-positioning systems and
agriculture technologies differentiate robots lead of availability of real time
themselves by their ability to record data and effective decision-making and
Data and make sense of it using tools helps in better control of agricultural
20
Precision Agriculture in India:

Seizing Practical Opportunities
and Addressing Key Challenges
in Micro Irrigation
Shrikant Goenka
Managing Director, Premier Irrigation Adritec
Precision Agriculture, a globally in a substantial 22% reduction in

recognized transformative approach, operational costs and an impressive
holds immense potential for 30% increase in profitability. The
revolutionizing India’s agriculture, optimization of inputs based on real-
particularly when seamlessly time information directly contributes
integrated with micro-irrigation to the economic well-being of Indian
systems. This article aims to farmers. The potential average
explore the practical opportunities annual savings of Rs 15,000 per
and challenges associated with hectare have the transformative
Precision Agriculture in India’s potential to reshape the financial
micro-irrigation sector, providing landscape, particularly for small and
a comprehensive quantitative marginal farmers.
perspective to inform strategic
decision-making. Furthermore, Market
Competitiveness and Sustainability
Opportunities: are enhanced as Precision
Precision Agriculture in India, Agriculture, when adopted alongside
when integrated with micro- micro-irrigation, improves the
irrigation, presents transformative quality and quantity of produce.
opportunities for the agricultural This makes Indian farmers more
sector. To begin, it addresses the The potential annual water saving competitive globally and aligns
critical need for Enhanced Resource of approximately 140 billion cubic with India’s objective to double
Efficiency in water-scarce India. meters underscores the significance farmers’ income over the next five
Leveraging advanced AI and IoT of this improvement in the context of years. Furthermore, the adoption of
technologies, such as sensors and India’s water challenges. precision practices contributes to a
drones, can lead to a substantial 20% quantifiable 20% reduction in the
improvement in irrigation efficiency. Next, Customized Farm Management, ecological carbon footprint, aligning
This not only minimizes water facilitated by data-driven insights with global sustainability goals.
wastage but also maximizes crop from Precision Agriculture, enables Lastly, Technology Transfer and
yield, contributing significantly to farmers to tailor their approach Skill Development constitute the
India’s goal of sustainable agriculture. to crop management. This results fourth opportunity. The successful
21
integration of Precision Agriculture

necessitates collaborations, leading
to a substantial increase in farmer
empowerment. This empowerment,
measured through the acquisition of
necessary skills and tools, is crucial
for the successful implementation
of Precision Agriculture in India.
In practical terms, the increase in
farmer empowerment translates to
enhanced livelihoods for a significant
number of farming households,
fostering economic growth and
rural development. Additionally,
the adoption of precision farming
technologies is expected to create 2.1
million jobs in India’s agricultural
sector.
Finally, Awareness and Education are ers. The measurable outcomes in re-
Challenges: critical for successful implementation. source efficiency, farm management,
Despite these promising opportuni- In India, the commitment to market competitiveness, technology
ties, Precision Agriculture adoption continuous improvement and transfer, and skill development high-
in India faces challenges that must be innovation in precision agriculture light the tangible benefits awaiting
addressed. Foremost, Technological is reflected in expected research Indian farmers, contributing to a sus-
Accessibility and Affordability pose and development spending. This tainable and prosperous agricultural
hurdles, particularly for small-scale indicates a noteworthy investment future. The potential impact of Pre-
farmers. While the global cost of pre- that, in tangible terms, could lead cision Agriculture, when expressed
cision agriculture technologies has to a rise in farmer awareness and in numbers, emphasizes its role as a
decreased, a targeted 25% reduction a substantial improvement in the catalyst for economic growth, envi-
in technology costs for smallholder adoption of Precision Agriculture ronmental sustainability, and social
farmers is essential. This reduction techniques. This transformative development in India.
could potentially extend Precision shift in agricultural practices could
Agriculture benefits to an additional potentially impact a large number of
25 million smallholder farmer house- farmers in India.
holds, democratizing the advantages
of modern agricultural practices. Conclusion:
The integration of Precision Agri-
Next, Data Management and Analysis culture into India’s micro-irrigation
are pivotal for Precision Agriculture sector presents a promising trajec-
success. In India, an intentional boost tory for sustainable agricultural
in investment for infrastructure, development. The practical oppor-
training, and robust data governance tunities identified underscore the
frameworks is imperative. This increase transformative potential of Precision
in investment could potentially result Agriculture. Despite challenges, tar-
in the creation of a significant number geted interventions, collaborative
of skilled jobs in the data management efforts, and policy support can pave
and analysis sector, contributing to the way for an inclusive agricultural
the advancement of India’s digital landscape, enhancing the resilience
economy. and competitiveness of Indian farm-
22
Improving Micronutrients
Diversity in Rice Through
Food-to-Food Fortification
Dr Manish Tiwari1 Manish Kumar2 Prof Jatindra K Sahu1

1
Centre for Rural Development and Technology, IIT Delhi, 110 0016
2
School of Interdisciplinary Research, IIT Delhi, 110016
Corresponding author: jksahu@iitd.ac.in
Introduction
In an era marked by remarkable
advancements in science and
technology, it is both perplexing and
disheartening to acknowledge that
a significant portion of the global
population still faces a silent, insidious
threat known as “hidden hunger”. Over
700 million people was facing hunger
in the world and around 2.4 billion
individuals did not have consistent
access to nutritious, safe, and sufficient
food in 2022 (World Bank, 2022).
Due to increase in the consumption
of processed and convenience foods,
leading to a spike in overweight and
obesity rates across urban, peri-urban,
and rural areas. Among worldwide
population, child malnutrition is the the population. Hidden hunger, stands out as one of the most consumed
major affected zone in 2021. Around characterized by chronic micronutrient and critical sources of sustenance for
22.3% children were stunted (too deficiencies, affects billions of people over half of the world’s population.
short for their age), 6.8% were wasted worldwide, particularly in regions To combat this pervasive issue and
(too thin for their height), and 5.6% where staple foods form the bulk of address the nutritional gaps that
were reported overweight throughout daily diets. Among these staples, rice continue to undermine human health
23
Table 1 Merits and Demerits of rice fortification techniques

Fortification Conditions Working Merits Demerits
technique
Dusting* Blended with the pow- The vitamin/mineral mix Simple and cost effec- Nutrients are removed
der form fortificants sticks to the grain surface be- tive through washing
cause of electrostatic forces
Coating Water-resistant edible The coated kernels are mixed Simple and cost effec- Affects the colour, taste and a
coatings with unfortified rice in a ratio tive loss of micronutrients during
ranging from 1:50 to 1:200 washing, as well as during
cooking
Extrusion
Cold 30-50°C The starch is partially cooked Mimic the normal rice Not accepted by consum-
by means of extrusion and kernel ers in terms color, taste and
provide opaque fortified rice easier to differentiate from
kernel unfortified rice kernels.
Warm# 60-80°C Uses pasta press, but adds a Mimic the rice kernel Cannot differentiate in terms
preconditioner with steam, and have similar ap- of color and taste and assures
or is equipped with a steam- pearance as regular rice the consumer acceptability
injection device to produce (shine and transpar-
fortified kernels ency)
Hot 80-110°C Twin extruder in which starch Mimic the rice kernel -Resulted FRK is puffed in
is fully gelatinized and have similar ap- nature beyond 100°C
pearance as regular rice -It is more energy-intensive
-It can include a precon-
ditioner, and can rely on a
double screw extruder to
produce the fortified kernels.
Source: Montgomery et al., 2014
* A remark should be mentioned about “not washing before cooking” on package
# Ideally warm extrusion method is mainly use to produce fortified rice kernel in India
and development, a ground breaking powerful solution that can significantly of cheaper and efficient processing
approach known as “Rice Fortification” improve the well-being of millions. techniques called fortification. Rice is a
has emerged as a beacon of hope. This rich source of macro and micronutrients
innovative strategy holds the potential Why Rice Fortification in its unmilled form. Unpolished rice is
to usher in a new era in the fight against Researchers are mainly focused on a rich source of vitamins B1, B6, E, and
hidden hunger, offering a simple yet eliminating malnutrition by means niacin (Zahra and Jabeen, 2020). During
Table 2 Extrusion process used in rice fortification

Techniques Blending Extrusion Sifting FRK Drying Blending
and con-
ditioning
Cold Add water Raises 30-50°C To separate The drying Blending ratio is
extrusion or steam moisture FRK on the is carried typically between
in mixture content basis of spe- out 50-70°C 0.5% and 2%, Fortified
(rice flour, from 12 to cific gravity to reduce depends on the Rice
Warm 60-80°C
premix*, 35-40% moisture nutrient content
extrusion
additives) upto 12% of the fortified
kernels and the
Hot 80-110°C desired level of
extrusion fortification
* includes iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 micronutrients (Source: Montgomery et al., 2014)
24
Table 3 Health benefits and level of micronutrients in rice fortification

Micronutrient Health benefits Deficiency Source Level of fortification
Iron Transport and storage of oxy- Anaemia Ferric pyrophosphate 28-42.5 mg *
gen, formation of blood cells, Sodium Iron (III) Ethyl- 14-21.25 mg
ene diamine tetra Acetate,
Trihydrate (Sodium
feredetate-Na Fe EDTA)
Zinc Increase the femur length, me- Weight loss, hair loss, Zinc oxide 10-15 mg
tabolism function, boost immu- decreased wound healing,
nity, wound healing properties skin lesions, growth retar-
dation (stunting)
Vitamin A Recovered vision and skin Night blindness, kerato- Retinyl Palmitate 500-750 μg RE**
related problems, provide im- malacia, xerosis
munity
Thiamine Coenzyme (enhances the action Beri-beri, mental depres- Thiamine hydrochloride 1-1.5 mg
(Vitamin B1) of enzymes), carbohydrate me- sion or
tabolism, normal functioning of Thiamine mononitrate
brain and heart
Riboflavin Helps thiamine to utilize energy, Dermal lesions, photo- Riboflavin or Riboflavin 1.25-1.75 mg
(Vitamin B2) coenzyme, essential for growth phobia, chelosis 5’-phosphate sodium
Niacin Conversion of tryptophan Pellagra Nicotinamide or Nicotinic 12.5-20 mg
(Vitamin B3) (precursor of serotonin and acid
melatonin hormones)
Pyridoxine Coenzyme, decarboxylation Anaemia, damage to cen- Pyridoxine hydrochloride 1.5-2.5 mg
(Vitamin B6) (removes carboxyl group and tral nervous system
releases CO2), deamination
(inhibit biogenic amines)
Folic acid Transmethylation, formation of Megaloblastic anaemia, Folic acid 75-125 μg
(vitamin B9) haemoglobin, normal metabo- Neural tube defect
lism
Vitamin B12 Production of blood cells, DNA Pernicious anaemia Cyanocobalamine or 0.75-1.25 μg
development Hydroxycobalamine
*added at higher level to account for less availability
polishing, the majority (75-90%) of rice and this can increase to more than deliver micronutrients will work only
these vitamins are removed. Only when 70% in some low-income countries as long as fortified rice is economically
parboiled does more than 50% of the (Bin Rahman and Zhang, 2023). It is an accessible to people at the bottom of the
water-soluble vitamin levels of brown important staple food in several African income pyramid.
rice remain, and this is due to their countries and the Americas.
migration from the outer layers to the Rice Fortification Techniques
endosperm (Steiger et al., 2014). During Rice is therefore a potentially excellent The rice fortification process is mainly
rice milling the fat and micronutrient- product for delivering micronutrients depending on the type of fortificant
rich bran layers are removed to produce to a very large number of people and has used, storage conditions for premix,
the commonly consumed starch-rich the potential to significantly alleviate morphological properties of rice kernel
white rice. White rice is the number micronutrient deficiencies. However, and fortification method.There are
one staple food in the rice countries of this will only achieve the desired result several methods of rice fortification,
southeast and northeast Asia, one of the as long as the sensory characteristics each with its own advantages and
most densely populated regions in the of the end product are not discernibly considerations as mentioned in Table
world. Of the world’s rice production, changed and people do not object to 1. Among all methods, hot extrusion at
90% is grown and consumed in Asia. incorporating fortified rice into their the temperature range.
On average, 30% of calories come from daily diet. In addition, using rice to
25
Extrusion Process a few micronutrient particles remain on provides an opportunity to reach a

Extrusion is a compression as well as the surface of the fortified kernel, which large and diverse population, making
multifunctional continuous process has been evenly distributed with these it an efficient strategy for improving
in which the product is usually mixed, elements. This lessens environmental the nutritional status of millions of
steamed, cooked, shaped and formed exposure and, thus, the degradation of individuals, especially in low-income
top roduce a desired cross-sectional micronutrients. The dried FRK have countries.While rice fortification
shape. Several cereal based products a water content of 14% or less, which holds immense potential, its successful
in the form of snacks, ready to eat improves storage stability. implementation requires collaboration
and ready to cook products such as between government and the private
pasta, noodles, flakes and water balls Recommendation sector. It also demands stringent
have been processed using extrusion The concept of rice fortification quality control measures to ensure that
technology. Nowadays, rice fortification represents a promising and innovative fortified rice consistently meets the
also uses extrusion process and differ in approach in the global battle against recommended nutritional standards.
processing conditions as shown in Table hidden hunger. The basics of rice
2.Rice flour, which is typically created fortification involve enriching rice with
by pulverising lower-quality, non- essential vitamins and minerals, such as
contaminated broken rice, and a premix iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 along
(Table 3) are combined to create a dough with other micronutrients to address
that is then used to extrude fortified these deficiencies. Rice fortification
kernels. The dough is extruded to create offers several advantages, including its
a reinforced kernel that resembles a wide acceptance among communities,
regular rice grain in appearance. Only cost-effectiveness, and scalability. It
REFERENCES
Montgomery S, Rosenzweig J, Smit J. 2014. Technology for rice fortification. Scaling up Rice Fortification in Asia, 57.
Zahra N, Jabeen S. 2020. Brown rice as useful nutritional source. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, 33(3), 445.
Steiger G, Müller-Fischer N, Cori H, Conde-Petit B. 2014. Fortification of rice: technologies and nutrients. Annals of the New
York Academy of Sciences, 1324(1), 29-39.
Bin Rahman AR, Zhang J. 2023. Trends in rice research: 2030 and beyond. Food and Energy Security, 12(2), e390.
The World Bank. 2022. Poverty Overview: Development news, research, data. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/
en/topic/poverty/overview(accessedon 18/09/2023)
FSSAI. 2018. Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018.
26
Precision Agriculture -
Dr. Dinesh Kumar Chauhan
Vice President, DeHaat
Introduction: The Evolution of precision agriculture is the ever-

of Precision Agriculture increasing global food demand. As
Precision agriculture, often referred to the world’s population continues to
as precision farming or smart farming, grow, so does the need for sustainable,
has emerged as a pivotal force efficient, and high-yield agricultural
reshaping the landscape of modern practices. Precision agriculture
agriculture. Its roots can be traced responds to this challenge by offering
back to the late 20th century when a suite of technological solutions that
early GPS-based systems marked the empower farmers to maximize crop
dawn of a new era in farming practices. productivity and meet the surging
demand for food.
These pioneering technologies
enabled farmers to determine their Addressing Environmental
exact position in the field, laying Concerns
the foundation for the precise Environmental concerns, including
management of resources and the soil degradation, water pollution, and
optimization of crop production. Early Roots: GPS-Based the depletion of natural resources, have
Over the years, precision agriculture Systems placed conventional farming practices
has evolved from basic GPS-guided The earliest forms of precision under scrutiny. Precision agriculture,
systems to sophisticated, data-driven agriculture were primarily centered with its focus on resource efficiency
approaches that are revolutionizing around GPS technology. Global and environmental sustainability,
the industry. Positioning System (GPS) technology is a response to these concerns. By
provided farmers with the ability to minimizing the overuse of water,
The adoption of precision agriculture is pinpoint their exact location in the fertilizers, and pesticides, precision
driven by a convergence of factors that field, offering an unprecedented level agriculture helps mitigate the adverse
underscore its paramount importance. of accuracy in land management. environmental impact of agriculture.
These key drivers include the ever- These early GPS-based systems
increasing global food demand, laid the groundwork for precision Navigating Escalating Costs
mounting environmental concerns, agriculture by facilitating precise The rising costs associated with
and the escalating costs associated navigation, automated guidance for traditional farming methods,
with conventional farming methods. farm machinery, and the creation of including fuel, labor, and inputs,
Understanding the historical context detailed field maps. have driven farmers to seek more
and these driving forces is essential cost-effective approaches. Precision
to appreciate the profound impact of Rising to the Challenge of agriculture provides a solution by
precision agriculture on agriculture’s Food Demand optimizing resource utilization.
past, present, and future. The first driver behind the adoption Through precise planting, irrigation,
27
and pest management, it reduces input yields, demonstrating the potential for rate fertilization adapts the application
wastage, thereby lowering operational yield enhancement. of fertilizers based on soil nutrient
costs and improving the overall levels and crop requirements. This
economic viability of farming. Effective Crop Stress Management: technology enables farmers to avoid
Precision agriculture technologies over-fertilizing certain areas while
Opportunities in Precision provide real-time data on crop health addressing nutrient deficiencies in
Agriculture: and stress indicators. For example, others. In places farmers using variable
Enhanced Productivity and Yield: thermal imaging and multispectral rate fertilization reported up to a 20%
Precision agriculture empowers sensors on drones can identify areas of reduction in fertilizer expenses.
farmers to optimize productivity the field under stress due to diseases,
through several means: pests, or nutrient deficiencies. Farmers Data-Driven Decision Making:
Optimal Planting Densities: can then take immediate action, such Farmers harness various data types
Precision planting equipment allows as targeted pesticide application or for decision-making in precision
farmers to adjust planting rates based nutrient adjustments, resulting in agriculture:
on field conditions. For instance, in corn healthier crops and improved yields.
farming, precision planting can tailor Soil Moisture Levels: Soil moisture
the seeding rate to specific field areas, Resource Efficiency: sensors provide real-time data on soil
ensuring an ideal plant population. This Precision agriculture significantly conditions, helping farmers determine
results in higher yields and improved contributes to resource efficiency: optimal irrigation timing and quantity.
crop uniformity. Research conducted Precision Irrigation: Precision irrigation By avoiding over-irrigation, this data
found that precision planting increased systems, equipped with soil moisture reduces water wastage and minimizes
corn yields by an average of 8% in their sensors and weather data, allow farmers the risk of waterlogging.
experimental fields. to target water application precisely
where and when it is needed. This not Crop Health: Advanced sensors, such
Precise Input Application: only conserves water but also prevents as multispectral cameras on drones,
Precision agriculture enables accurate over-irrigation, which can lead to capture images that can detect early
application of inputs like fertilizers and waterlogging and leaching. Studies signs of crop stress or disease. These
pesticides. By targeting specific areas of have shown that precision irrigation images assist farmers in identifying
the field where these inputs are needed can reduce water usage by up to 30%, areas that require immediate
most, farmers can reduce waste and exemplifying the potential for resource intervention, reducing the need for
improve crop health. A study reported a savings. widespread pesticide application.
15% reduction in fertilizer usage while
maintaining or even increasing crop Variable Rate Fertilization: Variable Pest Pressure: Data on pest populations
and activity can be collected through
sensors and remote monitoring.
Farmers can then make informed
decisions about the timing and location
of pesticide application, resulting
in both cost savings and reduced
environmental impact.
Decision-Making Tools and Platforms:

Numerous software and platforms
are available to farmers, offering
features like data analysis, predictive
modeling, and decision support. For
instance, DeHaat farmers app provides
a comprehensive dashboard where
farmers can visualize field data and
28
receive recommendations for action actionable insights to optimize effectively is crucial for their success.
based on real-time information. decision-making. Standardization efforts and industry
collaboration can help overcome these
Reduced Environmental Challenges in Precision integration challenges.
Impact: Agriculture:
Precision agriculture is instrumental in High Initial Costs: Connectivity and Infrastructure:
mitigating the environmental impact The initial investment required for Reliable internet connectivity is
of agriculture: precision agriculture technology can essential for real-time data collection
Precision Irrigation: Precision be a significant hurdle, especially for and analysis in precision agriculture. In
irrigation minimizes water wastage small-scale and subsistence farmers. many rural areas, poor or non-existent
and runoff, reducing the risk of water High costs associated with purchasing connectivity can hinder the adoption
pollution. It also aids in conserving hardware, software, and sensors, as of these technologies. Governments
water resources, a critical consideration well as the need for training, can and private sector stakeholders
in regions prone to drought. be prohibitive. Governments and should invest in improving rural
financial institutions need to provide infrastructure, including expanding
Variable Rate Fertilization: By applying affordable financing options to make broadband access, to overcome this
fertilizers judiciously, variable rate these technologies accessible. challenge.
fertilization decreases the chances of In conclusion, precision agriculture
nutrient runoff, which can contaminate Data Privacy and Security: holds immense promise for the future
nearby water bodies. This approach As precision agriculture relies heavily of farming by offering increased
promotes responsible and sustainable on data collection and analysis, productivity, resource efficiency, data-
fertilizer use. concerns about data privacy and driven decision-making, reduced
security are paramount. Farmers need environmental impact, and improved
Improved Farm Management: to trust that their data will not be farm management. However,
Precision agriculture enhances farm misused or stolen. The industry must addressing the challenges of high
management practices through the establish clear data privacy regulations costs, data security, knowledge gaps,
following means: and encourage the development of integration issues, and connectivity
robust cybersecurity measures. limitations is vital to ensure that the
Crop Growth Tracking: Farmers can benefits of precision agriculture are
track crop growth using remote sensing Skill and Knowledge Gap: accessible to all farmers, regardless of
technologies. By monitoring plant Adapting to precision agriculture their size or location. Agtech startups
health and growth, they can adjust often requires farmers to learn new like DeHaat play a crucial role in
management practices as needed, skills related to technology and data bridging these gaps and driving the
improving overall crop performance. analysis. Many farmers may lack the adoption of precision agriculture
necessary education or experience practices, ultimately contributing to
Identifying Areas Needing Attention: to fully leverage these technologies. the sustainable and prosperous future
Advanced field monitoring allows Agricultural extension services and of agriculture.
farmers to identify areas of the field training programs are essential to
that may require specific interventions, address this knowledge gap and ensure
such as additional irrigation or pest that farmers can make the most of
control measures. This targeted precision agriculture tools.
approach minimizes resource wastage.
Integration Challenges:
Farm Management Software and Precision agriculture technologies
Platforms: Various Farm management come from various manufacturers,
software offers a centralized hub for and they may not always work
monitoring and controlling various seamlessly together. Ensuring that
aspects of farm operations. It simplifies these technologies can integrate
data management and provides with one another and share data
29
Precision Agriculture:
Sanjay Borkar
Precision farming, also known as sensor technology, remote sensing,

precision agriculture, stands tall as and satellite imaging. Mastery of these
a beacon of innovation in modern nuances is imperative, emphasizing
agricultural practices. At its core, it the need for comprehensive training
harnesses cutting-edge technology to programs and robust support sys-
optimize crop yields, reduce waste, tems.
and elevate overall profitability. The
transition from conventional farming Another notable challenge pertains to
methodologies to intelligent, sustain- the upfront investment required for
able practices is demonstrable, driven precision agriculture technologies.
by the widespread acceptance and in- Particularly for smaller-scale farmers,
tegration of advanced technologies. these initial financial barriers can be
This careful management minimizes daunting. Beyond financial consid-
The agricultural landscape is under- chemical usage, preserving soil health erations, concerns surrounding data
going a profound metamorphosis, and water quality for a more sustain- management and security loom large,
seamlessly integrating digital tech- able future. demanding robust solutions for wide-
nologies into its fabric. Tools like spread adoption.
sensors, GPS, drones, robotics, and Furthermore, the integration of auto-
automated machinery are no longer mation and robotics reduces depen- Despite these challenges, the potential
futuristic dreams; they are now essen- dency on manual labour, bolstering of precision agriculture to enhance
tial instruments dotting fields across productivity while lowering labour efficiency, sustainability, and profit-
the globe. This digital transformation costs. Precision farming isn’t just a ability remains undeniably promis-
champions a data-driven approach, practice; it’s a comprehensive solution ing. Overcoming these hurdles ne-
empowering farmers with real-time that harmonizes efficiency, cost-effec- cessitates collaborative efforts among
information on soil health, weather tiveness, and environmental steward- farmers, technology developers, poli-
patterns, and crop conditions. This ship in the modern agricultural land- cymakers, and various stakeholders to
wealth of data facilitates informed de- scape. It’s a revolution that transforms create an ecosystem conducive to the
cision-making, pivotal in maximizing the core tenets of farming - Productiv- sustainable growth of precision agri-
agricultural productivity. ity, Predictability, and Profitability. culture.
The incorporation of technology into However, as with any transforma- As the agricultural sector continues
precision agriculture translates into tive endeavour, precision agriculture to evolve, the fusion of technology
a more cost-effective approach. Re- is not without its challenges. One of and agriculture emerges as the cor-
sources are utilized judiciously, con- the most significant hurdles lies in nerstone for a more resilient and pro-
tributing to increased profitability. the comprehension gap among farm- ductive future, especially for farming
Precision applications, such as tar- ers and agribusinesses regarding the communities worldwide. The key lies
geted fertilizer deployment based on intricacies of precision farming. The in navigating challenges with collab-
soil conditions, not only drive cost concept’s complexity demands a com- orative solutions, paving the way for
savings but also align with critical prehensive understanding of various a transformative and sustainable agri-
environmental sustainability goals. elements, including data collection, cultural landscape.
30
Tractor-trailers as a transportation
mean: Safety aspects
Mude Arjun Naik*1 Adarsh Kumar1 K N Agarwal2 S Leela Jyothi1
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi

1
2
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal
*Corresponding author email:-arjunnaik133@gmail.com
Introduction pace of farm mechanizationand plays a of victims in Phase-1, 11 (28%) victims

Agriculture is one of themain important vital role in agriculture, serving as the were passengers on tractors or trailers, 12
sector in India, about 50% of the country’s primary and revolutionary machines for (31%) were occupants of other vehicles and
population is dependent on this sector, various farming tasks. Beyond farming, 10 (26%) were working with the tractor.
accountingfor 17-18% of the Gross tractors also find use in transportation Only 5% of the victims were drivers who
domestic product (GDP).The country’s and earthmoving activities.However, were injured while operating the tractor.
population is increasing rapidly and is due todesign constraints, unindented In Phase-2 there were 15 (41%) victims
expected to reach 1.66 billion people by use and lack of safety awareness, a who were passengers on tractors or trailers.
2050. This rising population demands number of accidents happened, causing Working with tractors caused 10 (27%)
huge food and production to feed raising injuries to workers that may be fatal and injuries and occupants of other vehicles
population from the same area of land, i.e., non-fatal in nature. Because thetractor- and drivers were involved in 5 (14%)
142 million hectares. The improvement trailer combinations were not originally injuries. However, in case of severity of
in production and productivity can intended for human transport (live load), a non-fatality in tractor-tracilers was high,
be achieved with the help of improved concerning trend of accidents and injuries more than 50% are of Abbrivated Injury
crop varieties, cultivation practices and has emerged. Scale AIS5 andtractor injuries came out
mechanization levels. Tractorizationis to be very severe, with 21 injuries in both
one of the important components of There are several studies addressing phases being AIS 1 or above. 5% are of
farm mechanization because it isthe accidents and injuries related to farm AIS6 category compared to agricultural
primary power source for farming machinery and tools, but only a few or machinery which are of mostly AIS1, AIS2
(machinery operation) andnon-farming limited studies have given attention to and AIS3.Tiwari et al. (2002) conducted
operations (transportation of farm inputs/ tractor-trailer-related studies. Kumar et al. a study on agricultural injuries survey
produce and people).The farm power (1998) found that in their study involving in Madhya Pradesh from 1995 to 1999
availability in the country increased 2635 farm workers from Uttar Pradesh through 10 different leading newspapers.
from 0.28 kW.ha-1 in 1960-61 to 2.761 and Haryana, 28% of injuries in Phase-1 Out of the total fatalities (1,896) due
kW.ha-1in2020-21. The tractor is the and 40% in Phase-2 were passengers on to agricultural incidents reported
main power source for increasing the tractors or trailers. Among the distribution innewspapers,780 (41.1%) were tractor-
31
related; the causes of tractor–related

incidents reported in newspapers are
collision of tractors/trailers with other
vehicles and overturning of tractors/
trailers constituted 35.7% and 28.8% of the
total respectively. Overturning of tractors/
trailers and collision of other vehicles with
tractors/trailers caused 70.3% of fatal and
91.6% of non-fatal injuries in tractor-
related incidents reported in newspapers.
Khadatkar and Kot (2022), in astudy,
reported twenty-one incidents in the 360
villages of 9 districts of Madhya Pradesh
during 2012-2013. Among 21 incidents,
18 were non-fatal, and 3 were fatal. The
three fatal incidents involved a power if due attention is not given to safety wheeled trailer attached to the tractor’s rear
thresher, tractor-trolley overturning, aspects. The top five states in tractor with a single-point hook hitch. A part of
and bullock cart wheel, respectively. The population in the country are Uttar its weight is transferred to the tractors rear
literature reviewed indicated that tractors Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, wheel and rests on its wheels. Such trailers
had been the most incident-proneused to Maharastra and Gujarat, with a percentage are quite popular throughout the country,
carry out agricultural operations. Tractor- share of 16.16, 14.12, 12.99, 8.76 and requiringspecial skills of tractor drivers for
trailer transportation injuriesseverity 8.70respectively. The tractorsarethe steering and reversing. The load-carrying
had high severity compared to other most commonly used power source for capacity of the single-axle trailers shall
farm machinery injuries (Kumar et al., “on and off ” the farms throughout the not be more than 5 tonnes (BIS2000).
1998). Therefore, it is necessary to study year for operating different kinds of farm If tractor-trailer combinations are used
the impact of tractor-trailer accidents machinery andtransportation means with in road transportation, overload for
and their severity,along with preventive trailer systems for haulage, carrying and transportation (more than recommended
measures suggested to mitigate fatility and transportation in rural areas.Using tractors by BIS) causes accidents due to collisions,
non-fatality. Therefore, this study aims to in transport accounted for about 60% of sides and overturningsfor various reasons
comprehensively assess the implications the average annual usage(Singh, 2001). (lack of facilities provided in tractor-trailer
of the growing population of tractors and combinations).
trailers and the limitations they pose for Tractors are mainly hitched with single-
rural transport. Moreover, a range of low- axle (unbalanced or semi-trailer) The total number of registered tractor-
cost safety interventionsto mitigateinjuries and double-axle (balanced) trailers trailers (single-axle and double-axle) as of
is suggested,especially for non-farming for transportation in rural areas. An 31st March 2020 is 22.7 lakhs. The share
usage. unbalanced or single-axle trailer (two- of ‘Other vehicles’, including tractors,
Tractor-trailer Population
in India
The data on the tractor population from
1960 to 2020 is shown in Fig 1. The total
registered number of tractors as of 31st
March 2020 are 94.20 lakhs, with a total
registered% share of 2.89% among all
registered vehicles(Road Transport Year
Data Book, 2020), as shown in Fig. 2.
These incrementsare significant for farm
mechanization but also has a detrimental
impact of injuries and health hazards Fig 1. Tractors population from 1960 to 2020. Source (Road Transport Year Book; 2020)
32
trailers, three-wheelers (passenger)/ precise extent of occupational injuries is

Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and other difficult to establish for tractor-trailer
miscellaneous vehicles increased from 1.3 accidents. The data was collected from
percent in 1951 to 6.9 percent in 2020. secondary sources on tractor-trailer
The trailer population in different states injuries(Accidental Fatalitysand Suicides
of the country is shown in Figs.3.The top in India 2020, National Crime Records
five states with the highest populations Bureau) andreported in the present article.
of trailers in India areMaharastra with The tractor-trailer accidents in newspaper
4.2 lakhs (18.71 %) followed by Gujarat reports during the transportation of people
with 3.97 lakhs (17.48%), Karnatakawith and haulage are shown in Fig 4.
3.2lakhs (14.13 %), Bihar with 2.3 lakhs Fig 2. Total number of Registered Non-Transport Tractor-trailer Injuries: Causal factors
(10.41%) and Telangana2.1 lakhs (9.29%) Vehicles (2019-20)
respectively followed by other states which n Less conspicuous during night rides: The main causes of tractor-trailer injuries
may be lacking the proper process of trailer lack of rear indicators. are
registration. n Trailer is towed by a single-point hitch • Overloaded trailer
withthe tractor,leading to the tractor • Mismatched trailers
Theabive fore mentioned paragraphs and trailer not moving as a single unit • Poor visibility
indicates that there is a continuous while taking turnsand can causes side • Absence of bright headlights, tail lights
increase in tractors and trailers for overturning. and reflectors
different usage. From the above facts,an n During transportation, voluminous • No arrangement either on the tractor
attempt is made to understand how tractor material like wheat straw covers a (or) trailers for passengers sitting
and trailer injuries, including fatalities in wide area on roads, causing difficulty • Passengers sat on edge with their
different states over the years,occur with for other vehicles in visibility and legs dangling outside, making them
the tractor-trailer as a transportation movement. vulnerable to injuries
means. The limitations of tractor-trailers n Towing two trailers together. • No ROPS structure with seat belt
as transportation means and possible n No safety devices. arrangement
low-cost mitigation strategiesto prevent
accidents are discussed below. Tractor-Trailers associated injuries and Tractor-trailer injuries: Magnitude
fatalities The fatalities and injuriesdue to the
Limitation of tractor-trailers Mainly, the tractor-trailer is used for tractor-trailer combination from 2014-
n Single-point hitch. transportingfarm inputs, produce, 2020 are shown in Fig5.A total of 72,380
n No brakes on the trailers. construction materials and people in low- personswere injured and 37746 persons
n Lacks suspension system. income countries. These are associated lost life in these accidents. The percentage
n No sitting system for passengers can with many injuries, and most of them go share of fatality rates due to tractor-
cause higher vibrations, noise and dust unreported.There is no centralized agency trailers among all the other modes of
exposure. in India to examine farm injuries at the fatality rates is shown in Fig 6.During the
n Does not have rear visibility or side national level. Therefore, such cases are Coronavirus years 2020-21, there was a
indicators. notdocumented and reported. Hence, the decrease in incidences. Even though the
increase intractorization and utilization of
trailers can enhance the ease of agricultural
activities and ruraltransportationtohelps
and enhance production but also causes
injuries and disability if proper attention
and care are not given. The non-framing
activity injuries (road accidents) are
recorded only on main roads, whereas
most injuries and fatalities are not reported
in farming and non-farming conditions
Fig 3. Tractor-trailer population in different states of the country upto 2020
in rural areas. The injured victims are
33
Fig 4. Tractor-trailer accidents: newspaper reports
passengers riding on tractors or trailers;

passengers fall andget hurt when the trailer
hook fails.
Estimation of the magnitude of non-

fataland fatal with the tractor-trailer
combination
Many public and social events, such as
weddings and processions (barats), often
witness a significant number of attendees
opting for tractor-trailers as their mode
of transportation. Similarly, in the
construction industry, the transportation
of materials requires a substantial labor
force, who often accompany the materials
Fig 5. No. of persons injured and died in road accidents due to tractor-trailer from 2014-2021
riding on tractor-trailers.So, this is a
unique situation for many occupants on
a tractor-trailer system, unlike personal
vehicles. Any incident results in injuries
and fatalities to these people traveling
on tractor-trailers. These circumstances
contribute to a high level of risk and
potential severity in accidentscompared
to other forms of transportation. The
magnitude of the severity of thetractor-
trailer is shown in Fig. 7, which indicates
Fig 6. Percentage share of fatality rates due to tractors among all accidents from 2014-2021. the manifold rate of non-fatality and
34
fatalities in the tractor-trailer combination

to overall road incidences.
The fatality rate per lakh of vehicles per

year for road accidents is 45.45 and for
trailer accidents, it is171.5respectively.
In the case of non-fatality rate, it is
for road accidents 110.97 and trailer
accidents, it is 248.54 per lakh of vehicles
per year, respectively. Therefore, these
combinations need immediate attention
and some preventive measures need to
be incorporated to mitigate injuries.
The fatality and non-fatality rates may
even be higher if the total population
of trailers is assumed to be half of the
tractor population (94.24 lakhs). The
fatility and non-fatility rate with tractor
trailer accidents in 2020-21 are shown
in Fig 7. Some preventive measures for
trctor-trailer accidents are shown in Fig 8.
Preventive measuresto mitigate tractor-

trailer accidents during transportation
Following preventive measures can be
adopted to make the tractor-trailer system
safer
Sensor-based approach
The compromised visibility of a tractor-
trailerresulting from overloaded trailers
poses a significant challenge to road
transportation safety. This visibility
hindrance, especially during turns and
maneuvers, has been a leading cause
of accidents. An infrared (IR) sensor- Fig 7. Fatality and non-fatality rate with road and trailer accidents in the 2020-21-year
based system emerges as a practical and
Rear View Mirror (downward) operation by compensating for reduced
cost-effective solution. Thisapproach
An approach to mitigating tractor-trailer visibility caused by the voluminous load.
not only enhances safety but also proves
accidents during transportation involves
economically viable. By strategically
adjusting the mirrors downward for rear Side and rear underride
locatingan IR sensor at the rear of the
viewing by the driver conveniently. This guards
trailer, the system becomes adept at
technique proves particularly useful when These designs in tractor-trailer
detecting nearby moving vehicles or
hauling a fully loaded trailer; this can combinations prevent smaller vehicles
stationary objects, particularly during
impede visibility of the rear. By locating the (such as a car or a motorcycle) from sliding
turns or maneuvers. Upon detection, the
big rearview mirror at the bottom of the underneath the trailer in the event of a
sensor promptly alerts the tractor-trailer
tractor and angling up, the tractor-trailer collision. These guards are essential safety
operator with an audible and optical signal,
combination can be observedby the driver features aimed at reducing the severity of
effectively mitigating potential collisions
very clearly. This practical adjustment accidents and saving lives.
and preventing accidents.
enhances the overall safety of the haulage
35
Fig8. Preventive measures for tractor-trailer combination
Rear horn alarm display system for the operator. tipping backward.
A “backup alarm” or “reverse alarm” is a n Provision of Rear (tail)lights, blinkers n Removable guards for a trailer when
safety device tractor-trailer combination to and side Indicators. passengers are traveling.
provides an audible warning signal when n Tarpaulin cover with fluorescent n Use of ROPS with seat belts to prevent
the vehicle is in reverse. It serves several stripes/LED strips to make the covered tractor driver from non-fatality.
important purposes, warning to the rear trailer visible. n Training of drivers on safer use of
invisible side of this combination. n Compressing the low-density fodder tractor-trailers on roads.
into blocks for lower volume.
Other Interventions n Careful during driving at sharp slopes,
n Enhancing the visibility of tractor- uneven, soft or slippery conditions,
trailers by sticking Slow Moving alongside ditches or banks, and during
Vehicle Emblem “SMVE” [a triangular turning or reversing.
shape with truncated corners with a n When traveling on public roads, keep
characteristic pattern faced with retro- on the correct side of the road. Use
reflective and fluorescent material] light signals to turn, stop or slow
atthe rear. down.
n Installing low-cost rear camera and n No overloading of the trailer to prevent
REFERENCES
Accidental Fatalitysand Suicides in India, (2020).National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI.
IS 8213:2000; Indian Standard for Agricultural Tractor Trailer-Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.
Khadatkar A, Kot LS.(2022). Risk estimates of agricultural injuries and fatalities in central India. Annals of work
exposures and health, 66(2), 216-223.
Kumar A, Mohan D, Mahajan P. (1998). Studies on tractor-related injuries in Northern India. Accident Analysis &
Prevention, 30(1), 53-60.
Road Transport Yearbook (2020). Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, transport and research wing, GOI.
Singh G. (2001). Relationship between mechanization and agricultural productivity in various parts of India. Agricultural
Mechanization in Asia Africa and Latin America, 32(2), 68-76.
Tiwari PS, Gite LP, Dubey, AK, Kot, LS. (2002). Agricultural injuries in Central India: nature, magnitude, and
economic impact. Journal of agricultural safety and health, 8(1), 95-111.
36
Precision Agriculture: A
Path to Sustainable Food
Production!!
Deepak Pareek
Agriculture economist, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder in the agriculture
technology domain
In the face of a burgeoning global to significant increases in crop yields,

population and the pressing need for ensuring that agricultural production
sustainable food production, precision keeps pace with the growing demand
agriculture (PA) emerges as a beacon for food.
of hope, promising to transform the
agricultural landscape and usher in an Resource Optimization and Cost
era of enhanced productivity, resource Savings: PA fosters a paradigm shift
optimization, and environmental in resource utilization, promoting
stewardship. By harnessing the frugal practices that minimize waste
power of advanced technologies and maximize efficiency. By tailoring
and data analytics, PA empowers fertilizer application to specific soil
farmers to make informed decisions nutrient levels, PA prevents excessive
that optimize crop management, encourage the adoption of precision use that can contaminate waterways
irrigation, and nutrient application, agriculture technologies. Meanwhile, and harm ecosystems. Similarly,
paving the way for a more efficient and the Asia Pacific market is expected to PA techniques such as variable-rate
sustainable agricultural system. witness the fastest growth rate, fuelled irrigation ensure that water is applied
by the rising demand for food and the precisely where it is needed, conserving
The global PA technology market is pressing need to enhance agricultural this precious resource and reducing
poised for significant growth, with productivity. energy consumption associated with
projections indicating a value of pumping and distribution.
$23.06 billion by 2030. This growth is The Allure of Precision
anticipated to occur at a Compound Agriculture Environmental Stewardship: PA
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.4% PA offers a multitude of benefits that champions sustainable agricultural
from 2021 to 2030. North America address the pressing challenges facing practices that protect the environment
currently holds the largest share of this modern agriculture: and promote biodiversity. By
market, followed by Europe and Asia minimizing the use of pesticides and
Pacific. While the North American Enhanced Productivity and Yield: herbicides, PA reduces the risk of
market is considered mature, there PA empowers farmers to transcend water contamination, soil degradation,
remains ample room for expansion as the limitations of traditional uniform and harm to non-target organisms.
farmers continue to adopt innovative farming practices and cater to the Additionally, PA techniques such
technologies. Europe’s market is unique needs of individual plants and as cover cropping and conservation
experiencing rapid growth, driven field segments. This targeted approach, tillage enhance soil health, improve
by government policies that actively guided by data-driven insights, leads soil structure, and increase carbon
37
sequestration, mitigating the effects of are crucial to bridge this knowledge data collection, organization, and
climate change. gap and encourage farmers to embrace analysis. Additionally, developing
PA practices. open-source data analytics tools and
Economic Sustainability and applications can empower farmers to
Profitability: PA contributes to Data Privacy Concerns: Farmers independently interpret and utilize
improved farm profitability by reducing may have concerns about the privacy their data.
input costs and increasing yields. By and security of their data, particularly
optimizing resource utilization and when sharing it with third-party Research and Development:
enhancing crop productivity, farmers service providers. Clear data privacy Continuous research and development
can generate higher returns on their policies, transparent data handling efforts are essential to refine existing
investments, leading to increased practices, and robust data governance PA technologies, develop new
economic viability and improved frameworks are essential to build trust applications, and address emerging
livelihoods. and encourage wider adoption of PA challenges. Collaborations between
technologies. academia, industry, and government
Navigating the Challenges can accelerate innovation and ensure
of Precision Agriculture Overcoming Obstacles, that PA remains at the forefront of
Despite its transformative potential, PA Embracing Opportunities agricultural advancements.
faces certain challenges that hinder its To ensure the successful
widespread adoption: implementation of PA and reap its full Conclusion: Embracing
benefits, a multifaceted approach is the Future of Sustainable
Technological Barriers and Costs: The required: Agriculture
initial investment in PA technologies, Precision agriculture holds immense
such as sensors, GPS systems, data Financial Support and Incentives: promise for revolutionizing the way we
analytics platforms, and specialized Governments and agricultural grow food, addressing the challenges
equipment, can be significant, posing organizations can provide financial of food security, environmental
a financial hurdle for small-scale incentives and subsidies to encourage sustainability, and economic viability.
farmers. Additionally, the complexity farmers to invest in PA technologies By overcoming the existing challenges
of these technologies may require and services. Additionally, low-interest and fostering wider adoption of PA
specialized training and expertise to loan programs and cost-sharing technologies, we can pave the way for
operate effectively. initiatives can make PA more accessible a more sustainable and productive
to small-scale farmers. agricultural system that nourishes
Data Management and Complexity: the world without compromising the
PA generates a vast amount of data, Capacity Building and Training: planet’s health. As we embrace this
encompassing soil conditions, crop Comprehensive training programs transformative approach, we stand at
health, environmental factors, and and extension services are crucial to the threshold of a new era of agriculture,
machine performance metrics. equip farmers with the knowledge one that harmonizes technological
Effectively managing, storing, and skills necessary to effectively use advancements with ecological
analyzing, and interpreting this data can PA technologies and interpret data- principles, ensuring a bountiful future
be challenging, requiring specialized driven insights. Hands-on training, for generations to come.
skills, tools, and infrastructure. field demonstrations, and peer-to-
peer learning opportunities can foster
Knowledge Gaps and Adoption: The a more confident and capable PA
adoption of PA among farmers may workforce.
be limited due to a lack of awareness
about its benefits, potential drawbacks, Data Infrastructure and Platforms:
and the availability of suitable Investing in robust data infrastructure,
technologies. Educational initiatives, including cloud-based storage
extension programs, and farmer-to- solutions and user-friendly data
farmer knowledge sharing networks management platforms, can facilitate
38
STARTUPS - In Harmony
for a Smart Future
Agam Khare
Founder and Group CEO - Absolute
Introduction
From inventing agriculture 10,000 This is no longer just a theory: Countries
years ago, to Theophrastus enquiry like the US and Canada have been using
into plants, to JC Bose establishing precision Ag technologies like GPS in
plants have life, to the green revolution, agriculture since the 1990s and now,
our understanding of mother nature technologies, such as yield monitors,
and the process of growing food variable rate application equipment,
has been ever evolving. With the and remote sensing tools have become
global population poised to increase a new normal to improve crop health
from 8 billion currently to 10 Bn by and yield. The Netherlands, a country
2040, the need to grow food with the with very limited land resources,
same resources will become critical. has been able to harness Precision
Precision Ag is a beacon of hope for Agriculture to become one of the
this grand pursuit of human rights. largest exporters of fruits, vegetables,
For a significant period in our history and flowers. Ecuador is using precision
The Beginnings of agriculture, we assumed that agriculture to make daily advances in
Back in the 80s, American farmers higher yields required more inputs: a not only increasing its Banana yield
wanted to maximize profits by reducing notion that inherently considers the but also actively fighting pests and
the expenses incurred on inputs. What environment as collateral damage the disease Sigatoka Negra, which can
seemed like a simple business mindset, in the endeavor to feed humanity. reduce plantation productivity by up
held the potential to herald a new era The advent of Precision Agriculture to 50%. Closer to home, China, one
of sustainable farming with Precision meant not only can we grow more of the most populous countries in
Agriculture. The scientific approach food while using fewer resources, the world, is deploying drone sprays,
to Precision Agriculture details it as a but also control input runoffs into unmanned seed transplanters, and
farming management approach that the natural environment, thereby IoT devices for land monitoring and
involves the systematic observation, protecting the balance of ecosystems data to understand the demand for
measurement, and response to and preventing biodiversity loss. produce more precisely. Which marvel
temporal and spatial variations to Precision agriculture was also able to of Precision Agriculture could unfold
enhance sustainability in agricultural contribute to improvement in crop & next?
production. In simpler terms, it is soil health, reduction in manual labor,
the use of data-driven technology to remote monitoring of crop health, Opportunities in Precision
optimize farming, from sowing to the and farmer livelihood improvement, Agriculture
application of inputs and finally, the amongst others. Overall, the premise With a renewed focus of startups,
harvest, to optimize yield volumes and of Precision Agriculture is a net government, and research
curtail input wastage. positive for humankind: improved organizations in agri-tech, a new
consumer health, farmer profitability, generation of research and technologies
The Need for Precision Agriculture and environmental sustainability. is rapidly bracing the markets. These
39
new technologies coupled with a invaluable insights into weather increased efficiency, reduced need for
harmonious synchronicity with conditions, soil health, crop health, fossil fuels, low dependence on manual
learnings from nature: the prospects and yield estimation. This coupled with labor, and minimized carbon emissions.
are unlimited. Below are some key data through IoT devices on the ground Coupled with drone-based mapping
technologies which have immense can generate an even more accurate and satellite imagery, these can be used
potential for the future: understanding of soil and crops for to perform precise operations such as
every region. Not only does this help planting, spraying, de-weeding, and
Drone Based Mapping & farmers monitor crop growth stages harvesting, ensuring optimal use of
Spraying and stress levels accurately, enabling resources and maximizing yield. Blue
Advancements in Drone technology - them to optimize crop production River Technology, based out of the US,
optimized drone payload management and reduce costs, but it also opens is a leader in the development of farm
and better aerodynamic engineering, avenues of risk mitigation and credit automation robots.
coupled with significant improvement optimization, as this data is made
in aerial imaging for precision available to stakeholders. Companies Crop & Yield Profiling
mapping of fields, drones can be used have now developed proprietary equipment
for spraying pesticides, fertilizers, and AI/ ML models for remote farm We can now use image processing and
other agents based on accurate data, monitoring and advisory, leveraging machine learning algorithms to predict
allowing farmers to treat different satellite data and ground truthing crop quality and yield with high
parts of the same field in unique through IoT devices transplanted accuracy using precision equipment.
ways. PIX4Dfields, based out of across multiple regions. This approach can help in grading and
Switzerland, is one such company, quality inspection of produce with ease
which, in combination with drones Soil Testing & Health and reduce the guesswork and extreme
and multispectral sensors, helps create Management manual effort. Fixofarm based out
and analyze real-time maps of crops to With sensors to check the soil’s of Austria, is one such company that
enhance agriculture workflow. physical, chemical, and biological develops proprietary equipment to
properties, farmers can be enabled track the quality of produce using AI/
Precision Drip Agriculture to make informed decisions about ML models.
By precise delivery of water to the crop selection, input application, and
root zone of plants, Precision Drip irrigation management. It also helps Precision inputs
Agriculture can help save between in the early detection of nutrient Using biotechnology to develop
60-80% of water used in traditional deficiencies in soil which can help precision input products for farmers in
irrigation. In operating irrigation mitigate issues with future crops. different regions to reduce input usage,
systems according to soil moisture and Furthermore, regular soil testing can improve crop yields, and improve soil
plant sensors, coupled with remote also support farmers to track changes health. Inera, breakthrough biologicals
imagery, and plant development in soil health over time, supporting from Absolute, has developed
algorithms, recent technologies in them with insights on carbon content, proprietary precision biological inputs
Precision Drip Irrigation systems crop rotation, cover cropping, and to support farmers’ journey towards
are reaching nearly 100% water-use soil conservation practices. Insoil, a sustainable agriculture. It offers a range
efficiency. With the availability of 50% proprietary health ecosystem from of products for farmers to improve soil
less water by 2050 being a looming Absolute group, has developed a health, control diseases & pests, and
threat, water-efficient farming is a breakthrough fully autonomous support carbon sequestration.
global priority. Netafim, based out of proprietary soil testing machine
Israel, is one such company providing that can accurately detect 12 critical The Challenges in Precision
precision agriculture solutions to grow parameters in soil within 20 minutes. Agriculture
more with less. An approach as transformative to ag-
UnmannedFarm Robots riculture presents multifaceted chal-
Farmer Advisory with Electronic and Autonomous robots are lenges that encompass technological,
Satellite Data emerging to be increasingly popular standardization, connectivity, and pol-
Today, Satellite Data can provide in Precision Agriculture, due to their icy-related aspects.
40
Policy Framework Integration of different get better prices for their produce.
A dual-pronged challenge where on technologies
one end stand potential threats to the Since different researchers and In collaboration with Pradhan
privacy and autonomy of individual companies work on different Mantri FasalBima Yojana, the world’s
farmers and on the other the absence of technologies and operating processes, largest government-subsidized
evidence-based policymaking to address there are huge gaps in the integration of Agri-insurance scheme, Absolute
the challenges and opportunities in multiple technologies with each other, has provided crop insurance to
precision agriculture. While the private due to which adoption of more than approximately 5 Mn farmers and
sector has made significant investments one technology is slow and painful. is well on the way to insure 20 Mn
in tailoring information technologies Cross institution collaboration, farmers this year. Absolute today
for agricultural applications, coming commercialization oriented inter works with 25+ public and private
together of public sector, policy makers, institution research groups will be key sector institutions worldwide. At
private sector, and farmers on one to any country’s progress in adopting Absolute, scientists from institutions
common platform is the need of the new technologies. worldwide - US, UK, Spain, Germany,
hour. Israel, South Korea, Singapore,
We may be born in India, but the world Australia, and India are creating a new
Commercialization-based is our home, and both its protection benchmark in agricultural research.
model of research and its longevity, are our responsibility. Absolute is committed to enriching
Most of the companies have to work And to this end, the challenges posed the lives and livelihoods of small-
with a capital-intensive model of by Precision Agriculture need to be holder and marginal farmers in India
research where they have to create an addressed, on an immediate basis. & worldwide.
extensive infrastructure and scientific The mountain may seem too steep,
manpower for research, generating but scaling is possible when the In fact, in one of my articles in World
significant cash burn in the process. Government, Private Businesses, economic forum earlier this year, I
This usually results in shelving and Research Institutions harmonize reiterated that “A true breakthrough
multiple research prospects due to a for a multi-faceted approach, in agriculture can only come from an
lack of surety on commercialization. including awareness campaigns, skill unparalleled understanding of why
So, commercialization-based research development programs, financial nature and plants behave the way they
models will go a long way in promoting incentives, and supportive policies. do, by understanding their choices and
research on these new technologies. preferences and then marrying that
Before kick starting any research With this intent, we launched science with the latest in technology
program, institutions must lay down Absolute: a vision to empower India’s to build sustainable products and
a very clear framework around IP small-hold farmers to thrive. With services that impact at scale. Only
commercialization, in line with global years of research and market study, a when the intelligence of nature and
industry standards. tech-driven ecosystem was designed artificial intelligence are married
that enables farmers to access the best together will an exponential shift be
People and skills quality inputs based on data-driven seen: substantially increased farmer
One of the most critical things for recommendations through our centers, income, environmental sustainability,
developing breakthrough precision improve yields sustainably through our and better consumer health”.
ag technologies is getting high proprietary agronomy and soil testing
caliber people with specialized skill services, get access to affordable and Precision agriculture is poised and
sets. Industry should not view this sustainable credit through customized pregnant with a potential to make a
as a business endeavor, but a moral products co-developed with financial tectonic shift in how we engage in
obligation and they should come forth institutions. Furthermore, farmers agriculture today. It now rests on us
to invest and train resources. Xenesis can stay protected against weather as a society on what we can achieve
fellowship is one such initiative by the disruptions through our satellite-based together.
research core of Absolute which offers weather prediction. With the last-
up to $100,000 in grants to promote mile support systems, we also provide
next gen research. access to better markets worldwide to
41
Boost Crop Yield With

Agri-Intelligence
Mr Mohit Pande - Chief Business Officer, Cropin
Rajesh Jalan - CTO and Head of Engineering, Cropin
The global population is growing at 3. Feeding a growing population while

an alarming rate, and the agricultural adhering to Climate Smart Agriculture
sector must undergo significant (CSA) norms
changes to cater to the increasing 4. Ensure predictable yield and good
demand for food in line with the quality of produce, to provide a stable
population explosion. Smallholder and secure livelihood for farmers
farmers are among the key players that 5. Volatility of food prices mandates
can help to achieve global food security. improved crop resilience and yield
As per the World Economic Forum, protection
globally 600 million smallholder 6. Protecting the environment
farmers work on less than two hectares 7. Coping with climate change
of land and are estimated to contribute 8. Trans-boundary pests and diseases
28%-31% to total crop production and 9. Rise in demand for quantity and
30%-34% to food supply on 24% of quality of food
gross agricultural area. To support marginal farmers, enhance 10. The need to curtail food wastage
food security, reduce poverty, and 11. Lack of data sources on/off the
However, these marginal farmers tackle climate change, we must field
are often the neglected, vulnerable understand the dynamics involved in 12. Need for optimum use of
group and account for most of the agricultural production. Agriculture agrochemicals
poor and hungry in developing and is influenced by numerous factors
underdeveloped countries. Most of – some being technological, such as Technology is a key enabler to solve
these farmers are trapped in a vicious data-driven agricultural practices, these predominant operational
cycle of low-intensity farming, poor management, and decision-making; efficiency issues plaguing the
yields, limited access to agricultural others being biological such as agricultural industry. Accelerated
technology and markets, and diseases, insects, pests, and weeds; digital transformation drives
inadequate profits. The negative effect and environmental, like topography, farmer engagement that enables
of climate change only adds to the soil fertility, water quality, and climatic knowledge sharing, increasing
agricultural production challenges. conditions. efficiency, productivity and quality of
produce, and adoption of sustainable
The progressive decline of arable Major operational agricultural practices. The intelligent
land due to growing urbanization is a efficiency issues plaguing insights derived using agriculture
major hurdle to smallholder farmers agriculture cloud platform accurately predicts
and the Agri-industry. Accompanying 1. Agricultural holdings are mostly yield and supports dynamic real-time
challenges include feeding a growing individual businesses predominantly decision-making that mitigates risks,
population, providing livelihoods managed by smallholder farmers protects yield, and ensures adherence
to farmers, and protecting the 2. Lack of technological access to to precision farming practices. The
environment. smallholder farmers agricultural transformation brought

42
about by intelligent agriculture technology, farmers can grow crops Using artificial intelligence models,
cloud can enhance resilience among in areas that were earlier considered farmers are assisted in choosing the
smallholder farmers, enable affordable impossible for cultivation and make ideal seed variety for their farms. On the
food production, and ensure farm-to- every process more efficient to improve other hand, to produce excellent quality
fork traceability. production. seeds, seed companies face challenges
such as grading seed varieties,
How to increase crop yield Factors influencing crop ensuring data accuracy before the seed
with agri-intelligence yield multiplication stage, on-ground fleet
Agriculture, one of the oldest Crop yield that indicates a farmer’s management, harvesting at the right
industries, has been shaped by various agricultural output at a given period time, loss due to fake hybrid seeds and
technological innovations over the last measures produce harvested per counterfeit products, etc. Leveraging
few years. We are constantly innovating unit of land area. Farmers are always intelligent agriculture cloud, seed
to increase crop yield to meet the considering ways to increase crop companies can reduce time spent on
demand of a growing population. yield. Numerous factors, including R&D while meeting standards for seed
Quality seeds, irrigation facilities, technology, play a significant role in certification, implement traceability
fertilizers, and pesticides have helped increasing crop yield. Here are the systems to eliminate counterfeiting,
farmers increase crop yield. five factors influencing crop yield, and engage with farmers to optimize yield,
technology is helping achieve that. and enjoy accurate demand forecasting
Today, climate change, increasing that ensures timely availability of seeds.
population, growing demand for food, Seed quality
diminishing arable land and freshwater Good quality certified seeds are Field productivity
resources, etc., have made it imperative essential to maximizing crop yield. To improve field productivity, analysis
to leverage technology to transform the To increase yield, plant breeding of various factors like enhancing soil
agri-food system. Modern technology companies must select the right hybrid fertility, decreasing pests, diseases,
can be used in several aspects of seed, for which historical analysis of and weather predictions from sowing
agriculture such as the application of various environmental factors, along to harvest is done by integrating agri-
herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and with the variable weather and pests and data from a wide variety of data types,
improved seed production. Thanks to the greatest asset soil must be done. including location, images/videos,
43
spatiotemporal feeds, and satellite

monitoring of crops. Knowledge
sharing with farmers in the form of
Package of Practices (PoP) specific to
seed variety and region, alerts, details
on agri-input availability, timely
advisories, remote monitoring of in-
field activities, etc., helps to increase
crop yield. Data collated from AI/ML
models provide actionable intelligence
that allows farmers to reduce
operational costs. Pest and disease
alerts help thwart the issue at an early
stage and arrest losses.
Weather prediction
Along with climate change, erratic
weather conditions can cause havoc to of improving yield and optimizing Pioneers in the field like Cropin,
crop and impact the harvest. Although operational costs for the farmers. leverage Internet of Things (IoT),
it is impossible to avert the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI), robots,
severe weather conditions, farmers can Seamless communication drones for remote sensing, apps and
manage them by preparing in advance. between stakeholders devices, satellite farming, etc., for the
Crop and environmental monitoring Communication between various digital transformation of agriculture
machine learning models use weather stakeholders – farmers, seed companies, and to connect farmers with various
and satellite data to arrive at predictive agri-input companies, food processing stakeholders seamlessly. This empowers
agri-intelligence. Agriculture companies, and others – is important farmers to become better decision-
technology provides advisories on the for maximizing per-acre value. makers and maximize their crop yield.
quantum and time to apply various Digitalization in agriculture offers a
agri-input resources depending on the platform for seamless communication
weather. among various stakeholders and
improves the visibility of farmers.
Optimum use of agri-input Such an engagement helps with remote
resources monitoring, sends early warning
By protecting crops from pests and alerts and advisory for risk mitigation,
diseases or adding necessary fertilizers ensures farmers’ enablement with
and pesticides, agri-input companies precise information on the availability
play a critical role in increasing crop of agri-input resources and market
productivity. However, the proper advisories, details on farm equipment
usage of chemicals would depend on and new loan schemes, etc.
an appropriate understanding of which
areas would benefit most from what Intelligent agriculture
kind of input. An intelligent agriculture cloud platform connects
cloud leverages data collated by various farmers and businesses
methods and provides data-driven To ensure the above factors are
insights to farmers on the quantum implemented successfully to increase
of agri-input resource usage. This is agricultural productivity, nurturing
specific even to particular patches a healthy relationship with farmers
within a farm and has the dual benefit and other stakeholders becomes vital.
44
Precision Farming -
The Modern Approach
Ananda Verma
Founder and CEO, Fasal
Heading - Grow More, Grow Better
Precision agriculture, also known as Remote Monitoring:

precision farming or smart farming, Precision agriculture allows farmers to
is a modern approach that utilizes monitor their fields remotely, saving
technology to optimize various aspects time and effort. This is especially
of farming practices. In a country like valuable in a country like India, where
India, where agriculture plays a crucial many farmers still rely on traditional,
role in the economy and sustenance of labor-intensive methods.
a vast population, adopting precision
agriculture can lead to significant Market Access and
advancements. This article delves Traceability:
into the opportunities and challenges Adopting precision agriculture
associated with the implementation of practices enhances the quality and
precision agriculture in India. traceability of produce. This can open
Opportunities: up new markets and increase farmers’
bargaining power in the supply chain.
Increased Productivity: Data-Driven Decision Making:
Precision agriculture employs cutting- Precision agriculture relies heavily on Challenges:
edge technologies such as IoT, sensors, data collected from various sources. High Initial Investment:
and data analytics to monitor and Advanced analytics and artificial One of the primary challenges faced
manage crop fields. This leads to better- intelligence enable farmers to analyze by farmers in adopting precision
informed decisions on irrigation, this data and make informed decisions, agriculture is the high upfront cost
fertilization, and pest control, ultimately leading to improved crop management of technology and equipment. Many
enhancing crop yields and quality. and overall farm efficiency. small-scale farmers may find it difficult
Resource Efficiency: to invest in the required infrastructure.
With the precise application of water, Cost Reduction:
fertilizers, and pesticides, farmers can By optimizing resource use and Limited Digital Literacy:
minimize wastage and ensure that minimizing waste, precision agriculture A significant portion of the Indian
resources are used optimally. This helps in reducing overall operational farming community lacks digital
not only reduces input costs but also costs. This is particularly beneficial for literacy, making it challenging for them
addresses concerns related to water small and marginal farmers who often to understand and operate advanced
scarcity and environmental impact. face financial constraints. technologies. Training programs and

45
awareness initiatives are crucial to crucial to addressing the unique needs the livelihoods of farmers. However,
overcoming this hurdle. of different farming communities. addressing the challenges associated
with technology adoption, digital
Infrastructure Challenges: Policy and Regulatory literacy, infrastructure, and policy
In many rural areas, there is inadequate Framework: support is crucial for the widespread
infrastructure, including a lack of A robust policy framework is essential success of precision agriculture in
reliable power supply and internet to support the adoption of precision India. By fostering collaboration
connectivity. Precision agriculture agriculture. The government needs to between the government, technology
heavily relies on these infrastructural provide incentives, subsidies, and a providers, and the farming
elements, posing a challenge to its conducive regulatory environment to community, India can pave the way for
widespread adoption. encourage farmers to embrace these a sustainable and technology-driven
technologies. agricultural future.
Data Security and Privacy Concerns:
Precision agriculture involves the Access to Credit:
collection and analysis of sensitive Small and marginal farmers often
data. Farmers may be concerned about face challenges in accessing credit
the security and privacy of their data, for investing in precision agriculture
especially in a scenario where it is technologies. Financial institutions
being shared with various stakeholders need to design specialized loan
in the agricultural ecosystem. programs to support farmers in
adopting these innovations.
Adaptation to Regional
Variations: Conclusion:
India is diverse in terms of climate, soil Precision agriculture presents a
types, and crops. Precision agriculture transformative opportunity for
solutions need to be adaptable to Indian agriculture, offering the
regional variations to be effective potential to increase productivity,
across the country. Customization is optimize resource use, and improve
46
AI-Powered Localization:
Revolutionizing the Way We
Communicate
Miss Amrit Warshini
Miss Amrit Warshini (PhD Research Scholar), Dr. R.K. Doharey (Professor & HOD), Mr Anurag Shankar Singh
(PhD Research Scholar) at Department of Extension Education, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture
And Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming language, and they can be used to perform a accessible to people around the world,
the way we communicate, and localization variety of tasks, such as text summarization, and they are also helping to streamline
technologies are no exception. AI-powered sentiment analysis, and entity extraction. the localization process.
localization tools are helping to make These NLP tools are being used to develop
products and services more accessible to new localization solutions, such as tools Here are some specific examples of
people around the world, regardless of that can translate and localize multimedia how AI is being used to revolutionize
their native language. content, such as videos and images. localization:
One of the most significant impacts of AI on AI is also having a major impact on the way Google Translate: Google Translate is
localization is the development of machine that localization is managed. AI-powered one of the most popular AI-powered MT
translation (MT) systems that are capable localization management systems (TMS) systems in the world. It can translate text
of producing high-quality translations in can automate many of the tasks involved into over 100 languages, and it is constantly
real time. These MT systems are trained in the localization process, such as project learning and improving. Google Translate is
on massive datasets of text and code, and management, asset management, and used by businesses and individuals around
they are constantly learning and improving. quality assurance. This frees up localization the world to translate websites, documents,
As a result, AI-powered MT systems are teams to focus on more strategic tasks, and other types of content.
now able to translate text into hundreds of such as developing and implementing
languages with a high degree of accuracy. localization strategies. Amazon Translate: Amazon Translate is
another AI-powered MT system that is
Another key area where AI is impacting Overall, AI is revolutionizing the way gaining popularity. Amazon Translate can
localization is in the development of natural that we localize products and services. translate text into over 200 languages, and
language processing (NLP) tools. NLP tools AI-powered localization tools are helping it is available as a cloud service. Amazon
are able to understand the meaning of to make products and services more Translate is used by businesses of all sizes
47
to translate their products and services The benefits of AI-powered very bright. AI technology is constantly
into multiple languages. localization: evolving.
There are many benefits to using AI-
Microsoft Translator: Microsoft Translator powered localization tools. Some of the AI translation is changing the way we work
is another AI-powered MT system that key benefits include: with local languages. It’s empowering us
is widely used. Microsoft Translator can Improved accuracy: AI-powered in ways we never thought possible. For
translate text into over 70 languages, and localization tools are becoming increasingly example, Microsoft Translator can translate
it is available as a cloud service. Microsoft accurate, and they can now produce high- your PowerPoint presentations into multiple
Translator is used by businesses and quality translations for a wide range of local languages in seconds. Google Indic
individuals around the world to translate content types. Keyboard lets you type in Hindi, Bangla,
websites, documents, and other types of Reduced costs: AI-powered localization Tamil, and other Indian languages on your
content. tools can help to reduce the costs of Android device. And Google Translate can
localization by automating many of the translate text from English to Hindi, Bangla,
Memsource: Memsource is another AI- tasks involved in the process. Tamil, Urdu, and many other languages.
powered localization platform that helps
Faster time to market: AI-powered
businesses to translate their products AI-powered localization is making products
localization tools can help businesses to
and services into multiple languages. and services more accessible to people
launch their products and services into
Memsource combines AI-powered MT around the world, regardless of their native
new markets faster by reducing the time
with human post-editing to ensure the language. It is also helping businesses to
it takes to translate content.
highest quality translations. Memsource streamline the localization process and
is used by businesses of all sizes, including Improved customer satisfaction: AI- reduce costs.
Fortune 500 companies. powered localization tools can help
businesses to improve customer satisfaction Importance of AI for Indian
These are just a few examples of the many by providing them with products and Agriculture
AI-powered localization tools that are services in their native language. AI-powered localization is the use of
available today. AI is rapidly changing the artificial intelligence to translate and adapt
way that we localize products and services, The future of AI-powered content to different languages and cultures
and it is making it easier than ever for localization: in a way that is natural and engaging. This
businesses to reach global audiences. The future of AI-powered localization is is particularly important for agriculture
48
in India, where there is a high degree of agricultural extension programs that can Precision farming: AI-powered precision
diversity in terms of languages, cultures, be delivered in multiple languages. These farming techniques allow farmers to apply
and farming practices. programs will provide farmers with access inputs, such as water and fertilizer, to their
to timely and accurate information about crops with greater precision. This can help
Here are some of the ways that AI-powered new farming practices, weather forecasts, to reduce waste and environmental impact,
localization can revolutionize the way we and market prices. while also improving yields and profitability.
communicate about agriculture in India:
Improved access to information: AI- AI is also being used to develop new Disease and pest detection: AI can be
powered localization can help to make financial products and services for used to develop early detection systems for
agricultural information and resources farmers. For example, some companies diseases and pests. This can help farmers
accessible to a wider range of farmers, are using AI to develop crop insurance to take timely action to prevent the spread
including those who speak minority products that can help farmers to mitigate of disease and protect their crops.
languages or have low literacy levels. This the risks of crop failure.
can lead to better decision-making and Market intelligence: AI can provide
improved farming practices. Several Indian startups are developing farmers with real-time information
AI-powered apps that canhelp farmers to about market prices and demand. This
More effective communication: AI- identify pests and diseases, monitor crop information can help farmers to make
powered localization can help to tailor health, and get advice on best farming better decisions about when and where
agricultural communication to the practices. These apps are available in to sell their crops, maximizing their profits.
specific needs and interests of different multiple languages and are designed to
audiences. This can make communication be easy to use for farmers with all levels Access to information and finance: AI-
more effective and engaging, and lead to of education. powered platforms can provide farmers
better outcomes for farmers and other with access to information and financial
stakeholders in the agricultural sector. Overall, AI-powered localization has services that were previously unavailable
the potential to revolutionize the way we to them. This can help them to improve
Increased collaboration: AI-powered communicate about agriculture in India. their farming practices and increase their
localization can help to facilitate By making agricultural information and income.
collaboration between farmers, researchers, resources more accessible and engaging,
and other stakeholders from different AI-powered localization can help to improve The adoption of AI in Indian agriculture
language and cultural backgrounds. This decision-making and farming practices, is still in its early stages, but it is growing
can lead to new innovations and improved facilitate collaboration between stakeholders, rapidly. As AI technology continues to
agricultural practices. and lead to better outcomes for farmers and develop and become more affordable, it
the agricultural sector as a whole. is poised to have a major impact on the
Here are some specific examples of how sector.
AI-powered localization is being used to Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential
improve communication about agriculture to revolutionize Indian agriculture by
in India: helping to address these challenges and
improve the productivity and profitability
Google AI is working on a project to of the sector. Here are some of the ways
develop a new language model that can that AI is being used to transform Indian
understand and translate Indian languages, agriculture:
including Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali. This
model will be used to develop new tools and Crop monitoring and yield prediction: AI
services that can help to make agricultural can be used to monitor crops in real time
information and resources more accessible and predict yields with high accuracy. This
to farmers in India. information can help farmers to make better
decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and
The Indian government is using AI- pest control, leading to increased yields
powered localization to develop new and reduced costs.
49
Food Safety Management

Systems – A Brief Overview
Devinder Dhingra
Principal Scientist (Engg) LM-7559
Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR, New Delhi – 110012
Email: devinder.dhingra@gmail.com
A management system refers to a evaluates, and helps in controlling These procedures help maintain
structured and organized approach hazards that are significant to food consistency, efficiency, and safety in
that an organization uses to achieve safety. various operations.
its goals and objectives efficiently and
effectively. It provides a framework for ii. Critical Control Points (CCP’s): v. Traceability and Recall Systems:
planning, implementing, monitoring, These are the points in the supply These systems enable food businesses
and improving various processes chain, which if not controlled can to track the flow of food products
within the organization. Food Safety lead to serious food safety issues. through the supply chain and identify
Management Systems (FSMS) are Determining critical control points, the source of contamination or quality
a set of practices and procedures establishing critical limits, monitoring issues quickly. In case of any food
designed to ensure that food products procedures, corrective actions, safety issues, an effective recall system
are safe for consumption. They are verification, and record-keeping, are helps to remove affected products
implemented by food businesses and essential in food safety. from the market promptly.
organizations to identify, prevent,
and manage potential hazards related iii. Good Manufacturing Practices vi. Training and Education:
to food safety throughout the entire (GMP): GMPs are a set of guidelines Proper training and education are
food supply chain, from production and standards that cover areas such as essential to ensure that employees
to consumption. These systems are facility cleanliness, personal hygiene and stakeholders understand the
crucial for protecting public health of workers, equipment maintenance, importance of food safety.
and maintaining consumer confidence and storage conditions.
in the food industry. vii. Auditing and Verification:
iv. Standard Operating Procedures Regular internal and external audits
Key components of a Food (SOPs): SOPs are detailed written help to verify that the food safety
Safety Management System instructions that describe step-by- management system is functioning
i Hazard Analysis: It’s a systematic step procedures for specific tasks or correctly and meeting established
preventive approach that identifies, processes within a food business. standards. External audits may be

50
performed by regulatory authorities or

third-party certification bodies.
viii. Legal Compliance: Implementing

an FSMS helps organizations stay
compliant and avoid legal issues.
Food Safety Management

System Standards
There are several Food Safety
Management System (FSMS) standards
that have been developed by different
organizations and regulatory bodies
to help food businesses implement
effective food safety practices. The
choice of a specific system depends
on the type of food business, size
of the organization, and regional or Certification (FSSC) 22000 is a Global standard but a set of guidelines and
international regulations that apply. Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized principles that are followed to ensure
Some of the most widely recognized standard. It combines ISO 22000 the quality and safety of food products
FSMS standards include: with additional requirements, such during production. Various countries
as prerequisite programs, food safety and regions have their own GMP
ISO 22000: Developed by the management system requirements, and regulations.
International Organization for an annual certification process.
Standardization (ISO), it provides a In addition to the above, some specific
framework for food safety management BRCGS (British Retail Consortium standards are available for certification
systems and covers all organizations Global Standard for Food Safety): in food industry. Some of these
in the food chain, from farm to fork. Developed by the British Retail standards are Kosher Certification
ISO 22000 incorporates the principles Consortium, this standard is designed (Jewish religious based certification);
of HACCP and includes requirements for suppliers to retailers. It sets out Halal Certification (for products
for communication, management requirements for food safety, quality, permissible under Islamic law);
commitment, and continual and operational criteria, helping Organic Certification; Gluten Free
improvement. suppliers demonstrate their ability to Certification Programme (GFCP);
produce safe products. Non-GMO Certification etc.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points): While not a SQF (Safe Quality Food): The SQF Mandatory Implementation
standard per se, HACCP is a systematic standard, also recognized by GFSI, of Food Safety Management
preventive approach to food safety provides a comprehensive approach to Systems in India
that has been widely adopted as a food safety management. The FSSAI has introduced a
prerequisite program for many food certification system known as the
safety standards. It involves seven IFS (International Featured Food Safety Management System
principles, including conducting Standards): The IFS Food standard Certification Scheme (FSMS-CS).
hazard analysis, determining critical is used to audit food manufacturers’ Under this scheme, food businesses are
control points, establishing critical processes and products. It emphasizes required to implement FSMS based on
limits, monitoring procedures, food safety, quality, and compliance the principles of Hazard Analysis and
corrective actions, verification, and with customer specifications. Critical Control Points (HACCP) or
record-keeping. other internationally recognized food
GMP (Good Manufacturing safety management standards. It is
FSSC 22000: The Food Safety System Practices): GMP is not a single mandatory for certain food businesses
51
in India to implement Food Safety

Management Systems (FSMS). The
food businesses falling under the scope
of mandatory FSMS implementation
include:
1. Food businesses involved in the
production, processing, storage,
distribution, and transportation of
milk and milk products that handle
over 50,000 liters of milk per day or
more than 2500 metric tons of milk
solids per annum. They provide certifications for various chosen certifying agency is reputable,
2. Food businesses engaged in food safety standards. accredited, and recognized by relevant
slaughterhouses, meat processing, and authorities. Different agencies
poultry processing handling over 500 3. TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is a German may offer certifications for various
kg of meat per day or 150 metric tons certification, inspection, and testing standards such as ISO 22000, FSSC
of meat per annum. company that offers services in 22000, HACCP, etc. Organizations
3. Food businesses involved in food safety management system should select the certification that
processing, manufacturing, packaging, certifications, such as ISO 22000. They best suits their needs and aligns with
and storage of oils and fats (excluding assess and certify organizations for their industry requirements. It is
solvent extraction units) handling compliance with food safety standards. always recommended to verify the
more than 1000 kg of oils and fats per latest information as certifications and
day or over 250 metric tons per annum. 4. Intertek: Intertek is a multinational accrediting bodies can change over
inspection, product testing, and time.
Certifying Agencies for Food certification company. They offer
Safety Management Systems food safety management system Conclusions
In India, food safety management certifications, helping organizations In summary, Food Safety Management
systems are regulated and certified by demonstrate their commitment to food Systems are essential for safeguarding
various organizations and authorities safety and quality. consumer health, ensuring regulatory
to ensure the safety and quality of compliance, maintaining brand
food products. Some of the prominent 5. SGS India: SGS is a global leader in reputation, and achieving operational
certifying agencies for food safety inspection, verification, testing, and excellence in the food industry. They play
management systems in India are: certification. They provide certification a pivotal role in preventing foodborne
1. British Standards Institution services for food safety management illnesses, protecting businesses from
(BSI): BSI is a global organization systems, aiding businesses in meeting legal issues, and fostering consumer
that offers certification services for international standards. confidence in the products they
various standards, including food consume. Implementation of FSMS is
safety management systems like ISO 6. QCI - Quality Council of India: not mandatory for all the businesses in
22000. They provide assessments and QCI is a government body that offers food supply chain, in India; however, its
certifications for businesses looking accreditation and certification services. implementation benefits the food
to demonstrate their compliance with They are involved in accrediting business.
food safety standards. certification bodies that assess and
certify organizations for compliance
2. Det Norske Veritas Germanischer with various standards, including food
Lloyd (DNV GL): DNV GL is safety management systems.
a certification body that offers
services related to quality, safety, and When seeking certification for
sustainability, including food safety food safety management systems in
management system certifications. India, it’s essential to ensure that the
52
Precision Agriculture: Nurturing

Growth in the Digital Era
Himani Shah
Co Founder, Intello Labs
In the heart of every seed planted make strategic decisions. This includes
and every crop harvested lies the predicting crop yields, identifying
promise of sustenance for our growing potential risks, and adjusting farming
global population. The mission at practices accordingly.
the forefront is to revolutionize the
agricultural landscape by harnessing Challenges: Navigating the
the power of precision agriculture Path to Digital Agriculture
to digitize the quality of produce. In Initial Investment:
this article, we will explore the vast The adoption of precision agriculture
opportunities and inherent challenges technologies requires a significant
that come with embracing precision upfront investment. Many farmers,
agriculture. particularly those with smaller
operations, may find it challenging to
Opportunities: Cultivating procure the necessary equipment and
Success Through Precision tools.
Agriculture
Increased Productivity: Technological Literacy:
Precision agriculture leverages to precisely target their interventions, Implementing digital solutions
cutting-edge technologies such as minimizing the use of inputs such as necessitates a certain level of
GPS, sensors, drones, and machine water, fertilizers, and pesticides. This, technological literacy. Farmers must
learning to optimize various aspects in turn, reduces operational costs and be trained to use and interpret data
of farming. This leads to increased enhances overall profitability. from advanced technologies, creating
efficiency in resource allocation, a potential barrier for those unfamiliar
resulting in higher yields per acre. Quality Assurance: with digital tools.
The integration of technology in
Resource Optimization: agriculture ensures that every step Data Security and Privacy Concerns:
By utilizing data-driven insights, of the farming process is monitored The collection and storage of vast
farmers can make informed decisions and controlled. This level of precision amounts of data raise concerns about
about irrigation, fertilization, and guarantees a higher quality of security and privacy. Safeguarding
pesticide application. This not only produce, meeting stringent standards sensitive information, such as crop
minimizes waste but also reduces the and consumer expectations. yield data and farming practices, is
environmental impact of agricultural crucial to maintaining the trust of
practices. Data-Driven Decision-Making: farmers and stakeholders.
Collecting and analyzing data from
Cost Savings: various sources provides valuable Infrastructure Limitations:
Precision agriculture allows farmers insights that empower farmers to In many regions, especially in
53
developing countries, inadequate availability of necessary hardware.

infrastructure, such as limited access Bridging these gaps will create an
to the internet and electricity, poses a environment conducive to the seamless
significant obstacle to the widespread integration of precision agriculture
adoption of precision agriculture technologies.
technologies.
Facilitating Integration:
Integration Challenges: Stakeholders in the precision
Coordinating the integration of various agriculture ecosystem must collaborate
technologies into a seamless system to address integration challenges.
can be complex. Compatibility issues, Standardizing protocols, promoting
interoperability, and the need for interoperability, and fostering an
standardized protocols are challenges private entities should collaborate to open-source approach to technology
that must be addressed for a holistic provide financial assistance, subsidies, development can streamline the
precision agriculture approach. or low-interest loans to farmers. This integration process. This collaborative
support can empower them to acquire effort will ensure that farmers can
As we navigate the evolving the necessary technologies without easily adopt and adapt to the evolving
landscape of precision agriculture, compromising their financial stability. digital landscape.
the commitment is to bridge the gap
between these challenges and the Promoting Technological Literacy: In conclusion, the journey toward a
transformative opportunities that Efforts to enhance technological digitized, precise agriculture future is
lie ahead. By fostering innovation, literacy among farmers are imperative. both promising and challenging. The
providing education, and developing Training programs, workshops, and commitment to overcoming obstacles
user-friendly solutions, we can accessible educational resources and unlocking the potential of precision
empower farmers to embrace the digital can equip farmers with the skills agriculture requires a collective effort
revolution and cultivate a sustainable needed to navigate and leverage from governments, organizations,
future for agriculture. Together, let us digital tools effectively. Partnerships and the agricultural community. By
sow the seeds of change and harvest a with educational institutions and investing in the future, promoting
bountiful, digitized crop that nourishes technology companies can facilitate the literacy, securing data, addressing
our world. dissemination of knowledge. infrastructure gaps, and facilitating
integration, we can empower farmers
Empowering Farmers for a Securing Data and Privacy: to embrace the opportunities that lie
Digital Tomorrow: A Call to The concerns surrounding data security ahead and cultivate a sustainable and
Action and privacy require comprehensive nourishing future for agriculture on a
Precision agriculture holds the key solutions. Industry-wide standards, global scale.
to a more sustainable and efficient regulations, and certifications can
future for global agriculture. The establish a framework for responsible
opportunities it presents, from data management. Additionally,
increased productivity to cost savings providing farmers with control over
and enhanced data-driven decision- their data and transparent policies
making, are undeniable. However, can foster trust and encourage
as we embark on this transformative participation.
journey, it is crucial to acknowledge
and address the challenges that may Addressing Infrastructure Gaps:
hinder widespread adoption. Governments and organizations should
prioritize infrastructure development
Investing in the Future: in rural areas. This includes improving
To overcome the initial investment internet connectivity, ensuring reliable
hurdle, governments, NGOs, and power sources, and facilitating the
54
BUNDELKHAND - Vertical Farming

for Escalated Farm Revenue
R. K. Singh
Professor and Head, Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture
BUAT, Banda 210001, UP, India
Vertical farming refers to the growing of In India the states such as Karnataka,
crops, mostly vegetables and herbs on Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh
stacks of shelves indoors using artificial are the main states for production of
light and nutrient solutions, negating the tomato under protected condition.
need for sunshine and soil. It is often India is the second largest producer of
incorporates controlled-environment tomato after China. It is grown easier
agriculture ruling out adverse effects than the others vegetable crops and it
of climate change, it focuses on can be grown successfully round the year
optimizing plant growth conditions in poly-houses. It has very important
employing soilless farming techniques. pigment lycopene associated with
If comparison with the conventional/ good number of vitamins of the most
horizontal farming by identifying the important for processing industry.
needs, constraints, implementation Protected cultivation technology has
opportunities, possible alternative Tomato with coloured cauliflower curd great potential if implemented in a
approaches and highlight the potential of is not going to replace mainstream planned manner. It is well established fact
vertical farming technology as possible arable agriculture but can make its that the harsh and challenged climatic
option for food and nutritional security place as an innovative form of growing conditions (extreme heat and cold
in India. It is an entirely new approach foods. Vertical farming can become waves) ultimately reduce the potential
evolved generally ensuing indoor more main stream and remunerative production and productivity of crops.
farming in a way employing cutting- option of growing food. A lot of new During summer and winter season in
edge technologies. and advanced technologies will drive north India in general and Bundelkhand
the vertical farming industry and with in particular, it is extremely difficult to
In India, vertical farming is still in adoption of high-value crops combined grow vegetables in open field conditions.
nascent stage but has a potential to with reducing capital investment, it will
be speciality agriculture by growing become more remunerative. It helps in Bundelkhand with its wide variability of
foods such as micro greens, leafy intensive production of crops under full climate and soil type is favourable for
greens and high value food crops. It or partially controlled conditions. growing a large number of vegetables

55
crops. The economy of Bundelkhand in the month of October-November. Beds branches into two after the first flower
is primarily and largely dependent on of 90-100 cm width and 15-20 cm height cluster. Plant are supported by separate
agriculture and its allied sectors owing are prepared leaving 45-50 cm footpath plastic twine hanging from an overhead
to its predominantly rural inhabitants. between the beds. GI wire trellis support system 3m above
Regional inhabitants’ livelihood is the ground level.
mainly based on subsistence, rain- The two inline drip lateral 16 mm at 50
fed, and single/mixed farming system. cm dipper distance on laid on each bed Demonstration on vertical/mixed farming
The university has formed 8 different at 50 cm of spacing having a discharge with tomato, coloured cauliflower,
protected structures such as natural of 2 LPH is placed at each planting row broccoli, white cauliflower and cabbage
ventilated polyhouse, insect proof net, on the bed prior to planting. Plastic transplanted on side bed/hockey area in
green shade net and mist chamber with mulching may be done on transplanting Natural Ventilated Poly house (NVPH)
hardening chamber the project “Centre beds it provides several advantages such The tomato hybrid (NS-4266),
of Excellence on Dry land Agriculture” for as 20-30 % yield increased, fruit earliness, transplanted on dated 15/08/2021
cultivation of high value vegetable crop. weed controls and soil moisture retention. and white cauliflower (Bishop-RZ),
Simultaneously, BUAT Banda organizes Black/silver polyethylene mulch film 100 coloured cauliflower (Carotena &
trainings, conducts field day on low micron (400 gauges) thickness having 1.2 Valentena), brocolli (Tahoe-RZ), and
cost protected cultivation, and makes m width is used to cover the planting cabbage (Marcello-RZ, KPS 99 champ
awareness among the farmers to adopt beds and securing the edges of the sheet and Improved Bahar) transplanted on
low cost protected cultivation technology by burying in the soil. 25-30 days old, dated 17/11/2021 under the umbrella
at their fields and gradually progressive vigorous and uniform in size 15-20 of indeterminate tomato. It is observed
farmers of the Banda District have been cm in height seedlings are selected for that the single plant of tomato gave 7.5 kg
showing their interest and started creating transplanting. Seedlings are transplanted fruit whereas, under the tomato umbrella
low cost protected infrastructure at their at planting distance of 50 cm x 50 cm the white cauliflower hybrid Bishop-RZ
field for commercial cultivation and large on drip irrigation system for efficient noted compact curd and weight (0.900
dissemination. With this limited effort, use of water and fertilizers. The beds are kg). The coloured cauliflower such
some of the farmers are ensuring better drenched with copper oxy chloride (@ 3 as Valentina and Carotena recorded
yields, greater price and are saving their g/lit) if seedling mortality due to damping (0.800 kg) and (0.950 kg), respectively.
input resources year after year that helped off is observed. Regarding Broccolli hybrid Tahoe-RZ
them to uplift their socio-economic showed (0.750 kg) of compact curd. The
livelihood in the region. The fertigation of nutrients and fertilizers cabbage hybrids i.e. Marcello-RZ, KPS-
started after transplanting to first 99 champ and Improved Bahar recorded
Brief Cultivation Practices flowering through N: P: K: (19:19:19) (1.05 kg), (0.900 kg) and (0.850 kg),
Indeterminate tomato growth habit is 250g/500 square meter, flowering to fruit respectively.
suitable for greenhouse cultivation. The set N: P: K: (19:19:19) (100g), 46: 0: 0 (175
maximum yield with vertical growth g) and 0: 0: 50 (275 g) should apply. The Demonstration on vertical farming with
of the plant increases the yield, quality water soluble fertilizers such as N: P: K: indeterminate tomato and garlic sown
and colour. Tomato hybrids are grown (19:19:19) (100g), 46: 0: 0 (250 g) and 0: between two rows of for green leaves in
up to a height of 5-6 meter, utilizing the 0: 50 (275 g) should be given at fruit set to Insect proof net house
vertical space in greenhouse. For vertical up to peak harvesting. The doze of N: P: The tomato hybrid (NS-4266),
farming tomato production nursery sown K: (19:19:19) (50g), 46: 0: 0 (125 g) and 0: transplanted on dated 25/08/2021 and
in July-August and transplanting done in 0: 50 (150 g) should be given at crop end. garlic variety Yamuna Safed-3 (G-282)
August-September (hybrid variety NS- The plants are fertigated twice a week, sown between indeterminate tomato on
4266) it will harvested up to March-April. starting from 25 days after transplanting. dated 31/10/2021. It is observed that the
The nursery of cauliflower (Bishop-RZ) Retain single stem and sides’ shoots single plant of tomato gave 7.0 kg fruit
cabbage (Marcello-RZ, KPS 99 champ or suckers that develop between leaf whereas, under the tomato umbrella
and Improved Bahar), broccoli, (Tahoe- petiole and the side branches have to the good green quality of garlic plant
RZ) and coloured cauliflowers (Carotena be pruned. Pruning operation starts 20 uprooted and make a bunch of 10-15
& Valentena) were sown in October and to 30 days after transplanting at weekly plants and sale in the market @ 15/bunch.
transplanted between two tomato plants interval. The main stem of tomato plants
56
Protected Cultivation of
Off-Season Vegetables
P. K. Singh
Professor, Department of Irrigation & Drainage Engineering, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology,
Pantnagar-263145 (Uttarakhand)
India is the second largest producer cucumbers, beans, several types of vegetables such as tomato, capsicum
of vegetables in the world next only gourds, strawberries and lettuce. and cucumber. Walk-in-tunnels are
to China. During 2021-22 the total suitable for off-season cultivation of
vegetable production of India has Protected cultivation of vegetables melons. Plastic low tunnels are highly
already touched a level of 209.143 m provides the best way to increase the suitable and profitable for off-season
tonnes (https://agricoop.nic.in/en/ productivity and quality of vegetables cultivation of cucurbits like summer
StatHortEst, MOA&FW, GOI) is to be especially during off-season, which squash, bottle gourd, bitter gourd,
raised to 250 m tonnes by 2024-2025 also fetches better market price. The muskmelon, watermelon, round
(Singh, 1998), but the productivity yield of some off the vegetables like melon and long melon in peri-urban
and quality of most of the vegetable tomato, capsicum and cucurbits can areas of northern plains of India.
crops is very poor due to several biotic be increased manifold compared Keeping in view the importance of
and abiotic stresses during the field to their open field cultivation. protected cultivation for increased
cultivation. The off season vegetable Normally the economics of protected yield and quality vegetable production
cultivation is the thrust area of hill cultivation directly depends upon with minimum resource use, in the
agriculture in India. Vegetable crops the initial cost of fabrication of the present paper efforts are made to
grown under protected cultivation protected structure, its running cost discuss issues of protected cultivation
are generally destined for specific and the available market for high with special reference to off-season
markets ‘off season’, at a time when quality produce. Therefore, low- cultivation of vegetables under poly-
the same crop(s) grown in open cost protected structures, which greenhouses.
fields are not available. Alternatively can generally be fabricated with
use of protective cover allows crops les investment / unit area; and the Protected cultivation
to be grown in zones where climatic running cost of such structures is also Protected cultivation practices can
conditions would not normally allow very low, just like naturally ventilated be defined as a cropping technique
production in the open. A diverse greenhouses, walk-in-tunnels and wherein the micro climate surrounding
range of horticultural crops are grown plastic low tunnels. These are highly the plant body is controlled partially/
under glass or plastic covers, with the suitable for off-season cultivation fully as per the requirement of the plant
main ones being tomatoes, capsicums, and also for year-round cultivation of species grown during their period
57
of growth. With the advancement in

agriculture various types of protected
cultivation practices suitable for a
specific type of agro-climatic zone
have emerged. Among these protective
cultivation practices, green house/poly
house cum rain shelter is useful for the
hill zones. The green house is generally
covered by transparent or translucent
material such as glass or plastic. The
green house covered with simple
plastic sheet is termed as poly house.
The green house generally reflects back
43% of the net solar radiation incident
upon it allowing the transmittance of
Fig 1. Quality capsicum production under micro irrigation
the “photosynthetically active solar
radiation” in the range of 400-700 Nm n The productivity of the crop under generation round year for the small
wave length. The sunlight admitted protected cultivation increases f and marginal farmers in hills and peri-
to the green house is absorbed by the manifold (3-10 times) as compared to urban areas.
crops, floor, and other objects. These conventional system.
objects in turn emit long wave thermal n Off-season cultivation of the Protected cultivation
radiation in the infra red region for vegetables is the most important technologies
which the glazing material has lower aspect of protected cultivation. The Micro irrigation, raised bed , trellising
transparency. As a result the solar winter season vegetable crops such as and staking, mulching, : plastic
energy remains trapped in the green cauliflower, coriander, spinach etc can covered and insect screen covered
house, thus raising its temperature. be grown during rainy season. Similarly, tunnels, shade nets and insect-proof
This phenomenon is called the “Green summer season vegetable crops are nets and greenhouses (polyhouses,
house Effect”. This condition of natural successfully grown during winter and poly carbonate houses and FRP sheet
rise in green house air temperature the winter season leafy vegetable can be houses) are the important protected
is utilized in the cold regions to grow grown during summer. cultivation technologies, wherein the
crops successfully. However in the n Under protected environment the soil and plant micro climatic conditions
summer season due to the above stated incidence of insect and disease are are modified for better plant growth
phenomenon ventilation and cooling is minimized due to its isolation from and high production and quality
required to maintain the temperature open field. Use of micro irrigation and produce during main/off-season.
inside the structure well below 350C. off-season cultivation also minimizes
The ventilation system can be natural or the disease and insect incidence. Micro irrigation systems: Frequent
a forced one. In the forced system fans n Less infestation of insects and disease application of water onto the soil at very
are used which draw out 7- 9m 3 of air offer reduced use of pesticides. low rates on or below the soil surface
/ sec / unit of power consumed and are n The protected cultivation offers from a system of small diameter plastic
able to provide 2 air changes / minute. efficient use of two most precious pipes fitted with outlets called emitters.
resources land and water. Other inputs Water is applied directly into the plant
Benefit associated with such as fertilizers, chemicals and labour root zone in quantity that approaches
protected cultivation are also efficiently utilized under such consumptive use of the plants. Soil
n The vegetables / any other produce environment. moisture is maintained near the field
harvested from the protected n The year round cultivation of single capacity of the soil and nutrient is
cultivation have better quality in terms / multiple crops with high quality also applied as per plant need. It could
of the fruit size, per fruit weight, TSS, produce and high productivity. The off- be of High pressure system where
colour , texture and other quality season cultivation of vegetable offers quantum and scheduling of irrigation
parameters. high income and better employment and fertigation is automated; and low
58
Fig. 2. Raised bed cultivation under rain-shelter type green house and under drip irrigation
pressure under which quantum and by forming a bed of topsoil that lies Trellising of vegetable crops:
scheduling of irrigation and fertigation about 15 to 25 cm above the rest of the Trellising is used for training the
is manual. The high pressure system ground. Generally this bed is 80-100cm vegetable crop vertically for better
is suitable for medium to high land wide and having length of 2.5 -3.0 m management enhanced yield and
holding wherein low pressure system under surface method and up to 50m quality produce Trellising represents
is appropriate for small holdings and in micro irrigation. Higher application most efficient ways to utilize space in
greenhouses. A typical capacity and efficiency of water and fertilizer along vegetable garden. People who have
requirements of low pressure micro with improved aeration in root zone small piece of land will want to grow as
irrigation system is presented in Fig.1. are the main advantages of raised bed many crops as possible, and vegetable
cultivation. The raised bed cultivation growers who plenty of space will still
Raised bed technology : Raised bed also advanced the crop by 15-30 days need to lend physical supports to some
farming (Fig.2) is the practice of using which fetches better market price as of their vegetables, such as peas, beans,
complex terraces of elevated earth compared to crops under conventional cucumbers, melons and tomatoes.
to grow vegetables, it is done simply system of cultivation. Trellising can be constructed from
Trellising or staking of greenhouse crops: Trellising Trellising in open field vegetable crops: Good manage-
in greenhouse crops is necessary to use more of vertical ment of crop and Higher quality and productivity of
space and allow maximum light to reach canopy. crop can be achieved
Fig.3. Trellising of crops under greenhouse and in open filed (PFDC Pantnagar)
59
Fig.4. Different coloured mulches has specific purpose
either wood or metal material such as process and also regulate soil attracts white-flies and acts as a control
GI wire. Peas and bean like smaller temperature. In heavy soils, increased measure of LCV.
mesh poultry wire while cucumber aeration by frequent cultivation
prefer larger aperture of stock wire. increased nitrification process. In Plastic low tunnels for growing
Some vegetables like tomatoes, squash, soil with limited moisture, it helps to vegetables ahead of normal season
and melons require tying of plants conserve soil moisture by disturbing or in the winters: In low tunnels (Fig 5)
gently to support or carefully weave stopping upward capillary movement plastic covers (200-300 gauges thick)
them through the trellises as they grow. of water. In cold regions it increases are supported above the crop by wire
Trellising of crops under greenhouse the soil temperature which facilitates hoops. A simple way to make hoops
and in open filed is presented in Fig.3. longer duration for plant growth and already in a hoop confirmation is to
development ultimately advances the buy a coil of wire and use bolt cutters
Mulching: Under adverse climatic crop. to snip the hoops at the desired length.
conditions like high and low The ends of the hoops are inserted 15-
temperature regimes, mulching has Mulching is usually done with organic 20 cm into the soil on each side of the
favourable effect on growth and materials like straw, green leaves, row so that the width of the hoop at
productivity of vegetables. Shallow dry leaves or by using plastic sheets. the base is 60 to 100 cm and the height
tillage practices like racking of soil, Different colour and thickness of at the apex of the hoop is 40 to 60 cm.
simple scraping, hoeing, light digging poly mulches (Fig.4) are used for The hoops are spaced about 1.2m apart
etc. provide mulching effect, termed as specific purposes. Mulching with black in the row. There are many variations
mechanical mulching. It conserves soil polyethylene sheet is very effective in of these dimensions, depending on
moisture and increases soil aeration, suppressing weed growth in cultivation crop size. Hoops made from a coil
microbial activities, nitrification of vegetables. Yellow plastic mulch of wire are installed by hand; but for
60
good for raising nursery and growing

off-season vegetables. With proper
technical guidance, these can be built
with the help of local artisans, thus
minimizing the cost of construction.
Utility of walk-in tunnels can be
enhanced by using a combination of
plastic and insect-proof net as the
covering materials. The construction
cost ranges from Rs. 500 to 800 / m2.
Saw-tooth, multi-span: These types of
greenhouses provide effective natural
ventilation through side and roof vents.
These can be used in mildly hot climate
for commercial production of flowers,
vegetables and medicinal plants. Cost
of construction ranges from Rs.1150 to
Rs 1425 / m2 for naturally ventilated
Fig.5. Off-season summer squash cultivation under low tunnel at GBPUA&T Pantnagar
poly-houses and Rs.1500 to Rs.2000 for
machine-installed hoops, the wire has 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 75% and Colours environmental controlled poly-houses.
to be straight to properly feed into the - white, black, green Saw-tooth, tubular structural designs
machine. For most crops grown with n Insect-proof nets with porosity : with 4 m gutter height are popular for
hoop-supported covers, black plastic 25, 40, 50, 60 mesh floriculture and vegetables production.
mulch is used for weed control as well as • Nets provide protection against There are several manufacturers of
for improved crop growth. Depending animals, birds, insects, excessive these designs in India.
on the crop and the environmental radiation, wind and hails
conditions; the covers are left in place Off-season production
for 3 to 4 weeks and then removed. Common types of of vegetables under poly
For crops requiring bee pollination, greenhouses being used in green houses
the covers are removed about the time India Crops for growing in greenhouses
of the appearance of the first female Walk-in tunnels: These greenhouses are should be selected carefully keeping
flowers. For wind pollinated crops
(tomato, pepper etc), time of removal
is somewhat temperature dependent
since temperatures should not exceed
900 F at the late bud to open flower
stage for more than a few hours.
Nets in protected agriculture: Shade

nets are useful in cutting excessive solar
radiation falling on crop canopy( Fig.
6). They help in moderating the micro-
climate of plants besides saving them
from wind, birds and hails. The crop
season is extended and higher yields
are achievable. The nets are available
in different colours and shading
percentages:
n Shade nets with shading intensity : Fig.6. Quality tomato production under shade-net during summer at PFDC, Pantnagar
61
in view the quality aspects and market

price. Off-seasonality should be the
main criteria to fetch higher profits.
Tomato, capsicum and cucumbers are
most suitable crops under polyhouses.
Tomato and cucumber production
can be successfully grown under
zero energy naturally ventilated saw
tooth type greenhouse. Indeterminate
varieties of tomatoes are grown in
greenhouses which give one crop per
year, which fetches two off-season
(December – February and June-
August) in Pantnagar Tarai condition
of Uttarakhand. Production levels
up to 250-300 tons/ha is achievable
in zero energy naturally ventilated
greenhouses with the intervention
of drip-fertigation. The production Fig.7. Production of quality tomato under zero energy naturally ventilated poly house at
PFDC Pantnagar
technology developed at PFDC,
GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, is presented production of vegetables in naturally to 3 persons per hectare area under
in Fig.7. Similarly, capsicum can also ventilated tunnel type greenhouse is greenhouses / micro irrigation.
be grown successfully under naturally highly profitable and risk-free for small Protected cultivation technology
ventilated poly houses with single crop growers. offers high quality fresh products
per year (PFDC Annual Report, 2007- with minimum toxic residues. It also
08). The production level to the tune of Employment generation provides scope of agro-enterprise on
196 - 250 ton/ha can be achieved with through protected small land holdings.
suitable varieties in combination with cultivation
suitable package and practices under Greenhouse production system offers
drip-fertigation .Exotic varieties of great scope of employment for providing
cucumber can be grown round the year service support to the greenhouse
with 3 crops-cycles (Fig.8). Each crop growers. It has been observed that
can yield about 40-45 tons/ha. Crop big manufacturers of greenhouses are
production in greenhouses requires often not prompt in giving support
suitable varieties and management services, like, replacement of plastic,
skills. Value- addition through on-farm nets, repair of structural members etc.,
grading and packaging gets higher which adversely affect the production
profits High quality, long duration schedules of these enterprises. These
crop inside a climate-controlled types of services including micro-
greenhouse. High cost of structure irrigation can be undertaken by local
and energy to operate results in high entrepreneurs by developing suitable
production cost needs premium skills and facilities. On an average, this
markets for good returns. Off-season would provide regular employment
REFERENCES
Annonymous. 2008. Annual Report: 2007-08. Precision farming Development Centre, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture
and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India, pp 105.
MOA&FW, GOI. 2023. Area and Production of Horticulture crops for 2021-22 . https://agricoop.nic.in/en/StatHortEst.
62
The Evolution of Cotton Harvesting:

A Critical Review of Contemporary
Technologies
Sharanbasava1 Amit Kumar1 Dr.Devanand Maski2

PhD Scholar, Dept. of FMPE, KCAET, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala
1
2
Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering,
University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka
1.1 Introduction: contributing 18 lakh bales. During the pick the cotton on the plants and would
Cotton, a soft and white fibrous material, same year, India’s cotton exports amounted drop it to the ground this did potentially
envelops the seeds of the cotton plant to 60 lakh bales. The domestic utilization degrade the cotton but it was mechanical
and is processed into textile fibers and of cotton spanned across various sectors, and this meant less labour.In the 1950s
threads, widely used in sewing.It can be including mill consumption, small scale the original spindle for the cotton picker
also defined as a crop plant with white industry units, and other non-mill was redesigned into a more durable and
hairs. In the world, China and India are applications, as reported by the Cotton stronger metal, it could pick multiple
the largest producers of cotton. Cotton is Association of India in 2018. rows and had a basket to catch the cotton
an important commercial crop in India. In instead of dropping it on the ground.
India, the state of Gujarat, Maharashtra, 1.2. History of cotton
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya harvesting From the 1960’s to 1980’s, various
Pradesh are leading cotton producing In the early 1920s cotton was still picked modifications were made in the cotton
states (Gupta et al, 2017). by hand and caused a lot of manual labour, pickers as shown in Fig.2, keeping the
Cotton holds a pivotal role in shaping people would go day by day picking the basic concept same. In the 70’s the
both the social and economic landscape of flowers from the plants placing them in first picker with a driver’s cabin was
Indian society. As a significant contributor bags this is how it had been for very many introduced. This ensured the driver’s
to the global cotton industry, India ranks years (Evolution of the Cotton Picker safety and comfort making working on
as the world’s largest cotton producer, the 2013).In the late 1930s the first one row fields a pleasant experience.
second-largest exporter, and also the cotton picker was developed and sold
second-largest consumer. In the 2017- but John Rust but was not commercially The 4-row cotton picker, as shown in Fig.3,
18 period, India’s cotton production sold, the picker also proved not to be was introduced by John Deere in 1980
reached an impressive 362 lakh bales, very durable and so the inventor was which increased operator’s productivity
each weighing 170 kg. Among the states, reluctant to sell many.In the early 1940s by 85-95%. This increased the efficiency
Gujarat led the production with 105 lakh the cotton picker became commercially of cotton picking to a large extent and was
bales, while Karnataka ranked seventh, made and sold. The barbed spindles would welcomed by the farming community.
63
In the late 90’s, as shown in Fig.4, the six-

row cotton picker had been introduced
with a large basket on the back this new
picker made cotton picking much faster
and easier as the cotton was just tipped
into a module builder where it was
pressed.
In 2009 John Deer released the first-round

baler which picks the cotton, rolls it, places
it in a tarp and drops it to the ground.
Therefore, less manual labour was needed
again and the module builders were no Figure 6 features a specialized mechanical oxygen consumption ranged between
longer needed to press the cotton as shown design enabling efficient picking of cotton 0.81 to 0.97 liters per minute, workload
in fig.5. from each boll. This manually operated from 36.32 to 46.16 Watts, and energy
device incorporates a dual chain system expenditure from 16.83 to 20.33 kJ per
1.3. Types of cotton with sharp, small teeth and sprockets, all meter for both subjects in machine
harvesters powered by a lightweight 12V battery. picking scenarios. Additionally, operators
1. Portable hand held cotton picker The cotton fibers are caught by the chain reported maximum discomfort in various
2. Portable pneumatic cotton picker and then funneled into a collection bag. body parts such as the right wrist, palm,
3. Pneumatic cotton picker Additionally, the machine contains two forearm, upper and lower back, left
4. Cotton strippers internal rollers adorned with blades shoulder, lower legs, and feet while using
5. Spindle cotton picker on their peripheries, enhancing its the manual cotton picker.(Maneset. al.
6. Self propelled walk behind finger type functionality. The design prioritizes ease 2012).
cotton stripper of use and affordability for field operators.
7. Cotton picking with electrostatically 2.Portable pneumatic cotton
charged spindles However, a comparative analysis revealed picker
8. Cotton harvester with two bale several disadvantages. Parameters like It works on principle of generating vacuum
chambers average heart rate, oxygen consumption, and sucking cotton from each cotton ball.
9. Robot for picking of cotton workload, and energy expenditure were It consists of a suction tube whichcan be
significantly higher when using this moved by operator from one boll to other
1.Portable hand held cotton manual cotton picker compared to as shown in Fig.7. Vacuum is generated
picker traditional hand picking, across all three in the pipe which helps insucking cotton
The illustrated portable cotton picker in varieties of cotton tested. Specifically, from the boll and taking it to the storage
bag which can be carried by operator on
his back. Wholeassembly can be carried
by field operator which makes the device
easy to operate. The main limitation of
pneumaticmultiple cotton picker is
vacuum can take leaves and other trash
of the plant with it. If trash gets trapped in
cotton then itis very difficult to separate
trash from cotton, cotton being a very
fibrous material. Time required for cotton
picking by pneumatic cotton picker
is more as cotton from boll cannot be
picked at a time. Weight of the machine
also increases dueto use of compressor or
blower for generating vacuum. Operator
64
has to be skilled before using machine to separate the burrs and plant debris. long stripping fingers were strategically
to pick the cottonefficiently. Due to all Historically, early versions of these welded to the front part of the engine
these constraints pneumatic cotton picker machines included a wooden sled, which frame, positioned at a 21º angle. The
is not used worldwide (Ravinder, R. and was pulled by a horse or mule. This sled header itself measured 64 cm in width.
Majumdar, G., 2013). was ingeniously designed to harvest It featured a dynamically rotating paddle/
cotton. It achieved this by guiding the kicker, operating at a speed range of 120 –
3.Pneumatic cotton picker plants through a conical gap that was 250 m-1, effectively guiding the stripped
The pneumatic cotton harvesting wide enough to allow the stalks through materials—including open and closed
apparatus as shown in Fig. 8 includes a while narrow enough to capture both cotton bolls, along with sticks and burs—
plurality of harvesting heads arranged open and unopened bolls. Typically, these into a collecting drum. This drum, with a
inadjacent spaced relation side by side with sleds were designed to harvest a single capacity of 15-20 kg, was affixed behind
each having a side panel opposing a side row of cotton per pass, although there the header for efficient collection of the
panel on an adjacent opposingharvesting were models capable of handling multiple harvested cotton(Sharma et al. 2014).
head. An air intake manifold within each rows. Post-harvest, farmers would often The operational principle of this cotton
side panel has a plurality of extraction gather the cotton on the edge of the field, stripper is straightforward yet effective:
units with air intake ports forharvesting allowing any green bolls that hadn’t yet as the machine moves through the cotton
of seed cotton. The extraction units are opened to do so prior to the ginning field, its forward motion and the incline
each arranged in a staircase configuration process (Wanjura 2010). of the fingers facilitate the stripping of
to extract cotton into a passthrough cotton bolls, including green bolls, sticks,
chamber housed within the harvesting 5.Spindle cotton picker and leaves, while leaving the rest of the
head. The cotton is transferred through The spindle picking arrangement is shown plant undisturbed in the field.
the air plenum transfer chamberattached in Fig.10.The plants would pass over a
to the harvesting heads to a cotton series of spindles that were turning atfairly 7. Cotton picking with
storage container. Air supply nozzles high speed. When the spindle encountered electrostatically charged
arranged before the extraction units an open boll, the cotton fibers would wrap spindles
aidthe extraction of cotton by blowing around the spindle. Thespindle would Spindle picker machines rely on the direct
air on the cotton plant before entering then move around to a doffer where the contact of rotating spindles with mature
the extraction units to loosen the cotton. spindles would rotate in the opposite cotton fibers, adhering the fibers to the
Horizontal ledges above and below the air direction and the dofferwould doff the spindles for effective picking. However,
intake ports and raised deflectors forward fibers off the spindles further the spindles due to the sheer number of bolls and
and rearward of the of the air intakeports pass through the moisturizing units which limited spindle contact, many bolls are
deflect the cotton plants away from the easily pick the cottonand holds it on to the often missed, leaving cotton unpicked
air intake ports and support the vacuum spindle accelerating the picking efficiency in the fields. The traditional method of
mechanism for extraction of thecotton (Willcutt, 2010). wetting spindles with water to enhance
seed through the extraction (J.A. Bell, picking efficiency introduces mechanical
2010). 6.Self propelled walk complications and demands specialized
behind finger type cotton maintenance. Additionally, the water can
4. Cotton strippers stripper cause discoloration and staining of the
Cotton strippers as shown in Fig.9,a A novel self-propelled, walk-behind, cotton, and in cold weather, there’s a risk
type of harvesting machinery employed finger-type cotton stripper was engineered of the moistening system freezing.
for one-time harvest. These machines by integrating a specially designed cotton
are particularly useful in regions where stripper header onto a self-propelled power An innovative solution to these challenges
climatic conditions don’t permit multiple tiller, powered by a 3.6 kW engine. The involves applying an electrostatic charge
harvests. Cotton strippers work by either cotton stripper header was meticulously to the picking spindles and, inductively, to
plucking entire bolls, irrespective of developed, taking into account optimal the cotton itself. This method effectively
their ripeness, or by cutting the stalk specifications for the stripping fingers, creates a magnetic-like attraction,
near ground level, thus collecting the kicker/paddle mechanism, belt-pulley drawing the cotton towards the spindles,
whole stalk along with the cotton bolls. arrangement, and a material collecting thereby ensuring contact with bolls that
Subsequently, another machine is utilized tank.In this innovative model, the 70 cm would otherwise remain untouched.
65
The electrostatic forces not only attract oppositeSet of metering rolls and the thumb, and the signal given by the DSP
the fibers to the spindles but also aid Second baler are activated, andthe auger chip must be analyzedby the controller
in their adherence, reducing the loss is reversed. The completed bale can be used and should give a correct signal to
of cotton during the wrapping process. easilyunloaded while the Second baler theservo mechanism to operate these six
Furthermore, this invention includes the operates so that cotton harvester operation axis movementsaccording to the cotton
pre-treatment of the cotton within the location, distance, 3D position (Rao,
open bolls using an induced electrostatic 9. Robot for picking of USN., 2013).
force, encouraging the individual fibers to cotton
stand upright and actively reach towards The aims at achieving a prominent Conclusion
the rotating spindles in the picking zone solution with the use of Machine vision Machine picking of cotton demonstrates
(Beach, R. and Hare, N., 1954). together with Image Processing and significant savings in terms of cost,
Microcontrollers foridentification, time, and energy when compared to
8.Cotton harvester with two recognition, and processing of the traditional manual methods.Advanced
bale chambers cotton image assuch and picking the cotton harvesters are a common sight in
An on-board cotton harvester baling cotton with robotic arms to yield developed countries, streamlining the
System includes firstand Second balers maximumproduction in a day per hectare. harvesting process with their technological
mounted Side-by-side on the frame Research and development inperceptual sophistication.However, in India, the
of a cotton harvester adjacent a single system for robots enabled the agricultural scenario differs. Given the prevalence of
accumulator that extendsgenerally the sector tocatch hold of the technology in small-sized landholdings and the practice
width of the balers. One of two sets of reducing the overall cost. Theseintelligent of conducting multiple picking rounds,
metering rollers located at the bottom of robots use variety of visual sensors to advanced cotton harvesting technologies
the accumulator is selectively activated detect objectswith respect to their identity, are less utilized and Indian cotton varieties
to feed cotton to the first baler. A position, color, orientation in 3Dpattern are not suitable to developed heavy
reversible augerextending the width of at the fields. Based on the input signal machines.
the accumulator moves cotton within from DSP processor, theelectrical control
the accumulator towards the activated Set system with feedback employed moves
of metering rolls to assure a continued therobotic arm which consists of six
Supply of material for the operating baler. degree of freedom (6-DOF)movement
When the first bale is fully formed, the i.e., at waist, shoulder, elbow, wrist,
REFERENCES
Amar Singh, (2018).Cotton association of India.
Dixit, A., G.S. Manes, A. Singh, A. Prakash, J.S. Mahal, (2008). Ergonomic evaluation of battery powered portable cotton
picker, Journal of Institute for Engineers.
Gautam Majumdar., (2007). Status of mechanical harvesting of cotton in India., Cotton Research and Development
Association : 29-36.
Gupta, D., Jayesh, T., Paras, B. and Suraj, B., (2017). Design and development of pneumatic cotton picker, Imperial Journal
of Interdisciplinary Research, 3(4): 1822-1824.
J.A. Bell, (2010).Pneumatic harvester, US 20110131939 A1, GooglePatents.
Willcutt, M.J. Buschermohle, G.W. Huitink, E.M. Barnes, J.D. Wanjura, S.W. Searcy, (2010).The spindle-type cotton
harvester.
Manes, G.S., J S Mahal, J.S., Arshdeep Singh, Apoorv Prakash and Anoop Kumar Dixit., (2012). Performance evaluation of
battery powered portable cotton picker, Journal of Research Punjab Agricultural University, 49 (4) : 269-272.
Rao, USN., (2013).Design of automatic cotton picking robot with machine vision using image processing algorithms.
International conference on control, automation, robotics and embedded system.
Ravinder, R. and Majumdar, G., (2013). Evaluation of Portable Cotton Picker,International Journal of Agriculture
Innovations and Research,1(2): 35-42.
Sharma, K., Manjeet Singh, S.S. Kohli, Pramod Mishra, Ankit Sharma, (2014). Design and development of self propelled
walk behind finger type cotton stripper. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. (4): 35-46.
The Evolution of the Cotton Picker, October, (2013).
Beach, R. and Hare, N.,(1954). Cotton picking unit with electro statically charged spindles, Application Serial No. 451838,
Wanjura, J. D., Faulkne, W. B., R.K.Boman, M.S. Kelley, E.M. Barnes, S.W. Searcy, M.H. Willcutt, M.J. Buschermohle, A.D.
Brashears,(2010).Stripper harvesting.Cotton Inc.
66
Farm Robots: A New Reality for

Indian Agriculture
Dr Kishore Chandra Swain

Department of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati (A
Central University), Sriniketan, West Bengal 731236
Coresponding author: kishore.swain@visva-bharati.ac.in
Introduction of the robots for quick interpretation. gyroscope etc.), sound sensors and
Robots has been catching the The automatic guidance of vehicle, environmental sensors etc.
imagination of masses in almost all the
field including medicine, automobiles, Different components of agricultural Control system
shopping malls, offices, news reading, robots are The controlsystem works as brain of a
household works etc. Though • Vision system robot. It recordsthe information from
agriculture sector has been lagging in • Control system the vision system and analyses, and
adopting robots for field activities, a • Mechanical actuators prepares the response accordingly.
no. of standalone application has been • Mobile platforms These control units may be CPU or
already performed by the farm robots. GPU type. The GPU is generally expert
The farm robots are mostly fully Vision system in analysing graphical information
autonomous or semi-autonomous This is the eye of the robot. It captured and designed for parallel computing
types. Farmers with thousands of acres the images of the surrounding objects operation.
of land in developed countries as well through mounted sensors such as
as a farmer in a developing country panchromatic, visible, NIR or thermal
with only a few acres of land could use camera (operating at different Mechanical actuators
the robots for field operation. Even wavelength). Panchromatic sensors As per the directions given by the
automation has always been a big part give a binary image of black or white control system, the actuators perform
of agriculture, from the traditional color. The visible sensors replicate the the duty of its movement, positioning
land preparation to modern combine actual color of the object. The NIR and specialized activity. The actuators
harvesters and IOTs. So, the cameras generally more sensitive can be of electrical type, small
automated robots, should have sound towards vegetation. The thermal hydraulic system, piezoelectric type
motors which will be a key component cameras could be used for measuring or pneumatic type. The actuators
to perform their tasks, driving their variation in temperature, also help should be reliable and durable, as their
robotic arms enabling them to move, in identifying hidden objects.The performancesare closed observed.
grip & pick to undertake precision vision or acquisition system also This may affect the standing crop if
tasks. The supporting data acquisition includes touch sensors, proximity not monitored properly.
sensors should match to requirement sensor, inertial sensor (accelerometer,
67
plot boundary or obstacles. Recently, John Deere rolled out

an electric robot tractor called Sesam 2, which can produce
300 kW (400 hp) of power and play a key role in both tilling
and harvesting. Moreover, it is able to achieve synergy with
several other robots (Heidrich et al. 2022).
Sowing/transplanting robots: Sowing or transplanting is

generally carried out after a level surface is prepared through
ploughing or puddling operations. Row sowing can be easily
carried out by small size robots with minimum attention
from the operators. Transplanting has been a labour intensive
job with least time available to complete the job. Flying
robots (Drone) may be used for transplanting of seedlings,
as monitoring movement of robots through puddle soil may
require intensive research work. However, driverless self-
propelled transplanters could be tried in future to carry out
transplanting work.
Figure 1: Different systems of agricultural robots (Katzschmann et al., Inter-culture operations: The spraying of weedcides,
2018; Raj et al., 2019)
pesticides etc. has been immensely taken over by the drones.
Mobile platform Through the projects of Government of India (2022) drones
It helps the robot to navigate, take turns, avoid obstacles and have been provided to State agricultural universities and
ensure smooth movement of the system around the working various research institute. The drone system is somewhat
environment. The movement is generally laser guided by expensive, which may be supported through Custom Hiring
carrying out continuous scan of the surroundings. The mobile Centres or cooperatives to the farmers. However, spraying
platforms required very special attention as the robots need drone has very high field capacity, which can cover large area
to move through farm lands, undulated terrain under open in short time. This system is very effective for small size farm
sky condition.The broad use of fully autonomous agricultural plots engaged in growing a single crop (for instance rice crop
robots reduces labor costs and greatly increases the efficiency or jute crop) covering a large area.Even driverless tractor
of farming work. Meanwhile, semi-autonomous robots mounted spraying system can also be used for large size
are also an indispensable element of agricultural robots farm lands. Somewhat inspection is required as spraying is
considering variable condition of agricultural fields. affected by wind and surrounding conditions. Now-a-days,
variable rate spraying is also encouraged for optimizing the
Scope of agricultural robots crop input use and reducing the ill impact of over spraying
Various agricultural operations have been carried out through modern technology.Direct removal of weeds may
through robots as standalone applications. Integration of be a great challenge for robots for field crops for broadcasted
these activities may be required for developing robot based seeding. However, the weeds within two rows of a row-crop
automated agriculture systems. can be easily remove by the robots.
Tillage operation: It is a major operation in agriculture to
initiate the farming activity for preparing the land surface Irrigation/fertilizer application: Irrigation reduces crop stress
for sowingseed or transplanting the seedlings. Through and ensures proper vegetation growth. Based on the input
mechanization, the primary and secondary tillage mostly from the field sensors measuring soil moisture, temperature,
carried out through tractor or power tiller mounted humidity etc., irrigation scheduling can have been automated
implements. Initial involvement of robot for tillage operation with least inspection. The operation of the irrigation pumps
was through operating driverless tractors. These tractors are power through electricity or solar panels can put on/off
mounted with different navigation system to move around through fully automated mode or by a remotely monitored
the field following a loaded route map. The big size farm system.Fertilizers are generally available in the form of big
lands in the developed countries may not be problem for granules, small granules or liquid form. It may be applied
driverless tractor operation with minimum risk of hitting a in terms of top dressing, besides the plant or the soil with
68
complicated more research work

required to enhance the efficiency of
farm robots. Cost has been a major
drawback in implementing robots along
with lack of user friendly technology
for wider adoption. A long way need to
cover in terms of implementing robots
for agricultural application.
Conclusion
Robots are the promising technology
to reduce labour demand, ensure food
security and take agriculture to next
level.Driverless tractors mounted with
implements can be controlled from
Figure 2: Schematic diagram of a sweet pepper harvesting robot (Arad et al., 2020) remote place to carryout various field
operations. Flying robots (drone) is
systematic approach. Based on the type Robots in allied agriculture sectors: going to play big role in automation
fertilizer and application technique, Robots have been used for milking of various agricultural operations.
robots may be designed for field of cows since last two decades in Robotic agriculture may require some
applications. Even liquid or soluble developed countries like Denmark etc. investment by the farmers, which
fertilizer may be applied through (Filho et al., 2020). Animal feeding can will give handful return in future.
drones. also be carried out through robots. Additionally,there is an emerging
global interest in cooperative robotics
Harvesting and threshing operation: Benefits of robots in in agriculture, which will open path for
Harvesting of greenhouse crops has agriculture adopting robots.
been initiated for quite sometimes ago. Robotics in agriculture will ensure
Sweeper robot is used for sweet pepper • Better productivity
harvesting in greenhouse (Arad et al., • Waste reduction
2020). There is huge scope for designing • Precision and timeliness of
robots for harvesting operation with operation
the development of machine learning • Long term cost effectiveness
techniques and mobile platforms.
Particular row crops, and vegetables and Drawbacks
fruits can be easily harvested by robots. As agriculture operations are
REFERENCES
Arad B, Balendonck J, Barth R, Ohad Ben-Shahar, Edan Y, Thomas H, Hemming J, Kurrser T, Tuiji BV. 2020. Development
of a sweet pepper harvesting robot. Journal of Robotics, 37:1027-1039.
Filho L, Lopes M, Brito S, Rossi G,Conti L, Barbari M. 2020. Robotic milking of dairy cows: A review. Semina: Ciencias
Agrarias, 41:2833-2850.
Katzschmann RK, DelPreto J, MacCurdy R, Rus D. 2018. Exploration of underwater life with an acoustically controlled soft
robotic fish. Scientific Robot. 3:eaar3449.
Heidrich J, Gaulke M, Golling M, Alaydin BO, Barh A, Keller U. 2022. 324-fs Pulses From a SESAM Modelocked Backside-
Cooled 2-μm VECSEL. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett, 34:337–340.
Raj R, Aravind A, Akshay V, Chandy M, Sharun NA. 2019. Seed planting robot with two control variables. In Proceedings
of the 2019 3rd International Conference on Trends in Electronics and Informatics (ICOEI), Tirunelveli, India, 23–25 April
2019; pp. 1025–1028.
69
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Agricultural Engineering Today | 47 (4)

INDIAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS

Advantages of precision farming

How could India benefit from precision farming?

Agricultural Engineering Today | 48 (4)

Dr. S.N. Jha, Deputy Director General (Agricultural

17 National Smart Irrigation

Precision agriculture holds great

Precision Agriculture in our country Inadequate indigenous manufacturing,

I. INTRODUCTION In order to make agriculture smarter,

https://doi.org/10.52151/aet2023474.1684 Received 05/11/2023 Accepted 02/12/2023

Jain Logic - A Decision Support which can help to reduce migration.

n Liability of the solution -

Presently there is a wide gap between

A Strategic View Point of

Agriculture is the most essential and as it is dependent on interplay of

https://doi.org/10.52151/aet2023474.1685 Received 25/10/2023 Accepted 08/12/2023

more suited to growing oilseeds and

and opportunities from a strategic

Status of Tractor Industry

Year Production Domestic sale Export Population*

2011-12 706332 639896 66436 4843000

2012-13 637471 578690 58781 4713402

2013-14 759478 696801 62677 5085384

2014-15 612994 551463 75376 5829511

2015-16 570791 493764 77485 6087673

2016-17 691361 582844 78351 6463265

2017-18 796873 711478 85395 7018130

2018-19 898052 780032 92233 7606529

2019-20 777752 705011 76054 8062463

2020-21 965231 899407 88621 8665790

2021-22 961100 842266 128636 9155688

2022-23 1071310 945311 124542 9755827

Source: Tractor Manufactures Association, TMA;

Precision agriculture is a crop & site-specific farm management system to

Major advantages of Challenges of Precision demonstration and promotion by

material, raw materials used for food

Agri-Business Incubation Centre

75 lakh ha brought under

https://doi.org/10.52151/aet2023474.1688 Received 23/10/2023 Accepted 08/12/2023

agricultural ecosystem to join hands

Speaking at the occasion, Franklin

Only Smart Farming Can

Agriculture, rather food production

https://doi.org/10.52151/aet2023474.1689 Received 30/10/2023 Accepted 02/12/2023

rapid urbanization is influencing

Precision Agriculture in India:

Precision Agriculture, a globally in a substantial 22% reduction in

integration of Precision Agriculture

Dr Manish Tiwari1 Manish Kumar2 Prof Jatindra K Sahu1

Table 1 Merits and Demerits of rice fortification techniques

Table 2 Extrusion process used in rice fortification

Table 3 Health benefits and level of micronutrients in rice fortification

Extrusion Process a few micronutrient particles remain on provides an opportunity to reach a

Introduction: The Evolution of precision agriculture is the ever-

Decision-Making Tools and Platforms:

Precision farming, also known as sensor technology, remote sensing,

Mude Arjun Naik*1 Adarsh Kumar1 K N Agarwal2 S Leela Jyothi1

ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi

Introduction pace of farm mechanizationand plays a of victims in Phase-1, 11 (28%) victims

related; the causes of tractor–related

trailers, three-wheelers (passenger)/ precise extent of occupational injuries is

Fig 4. Tractor-trailer accidents: newspaper reports

passengers riding on tractors or trailers;