Operationalizing Precision Farming in

India

Authors:Ashish Mishra, P. Chidambara Raj, and D. BalajiCollege of Engineering, GuindyAnna University.

Contents

⇨ Objectives⇨ Precision Farming⇨ Components of Precis

ion Farming⇨ Problems in Indian Ag

riculture⇨ Overview⇨ Feasibility Analysis⇨ Suggestions for

Implementation⇨ Conclusion

Objectives

⇨ Explain the feasibility of precision farming technology with emphasis on seed spacing tillage, etc.

⇨ Set up a DGPS network all around the country and achieving few centimeters accuracy for the purpose of Site-Specific Management (SSM) in Precision Farming

⇨ Analyse the cost and benefit in terms of Indian farmer’s income-expenditure

Contents

Precision Farming

Care for each plant

⇨ The term Precision Farming means the application of technologies and principles to manage spatial and temporal variability associated with all aspects of agricultural production (Pierce and Nowak, 1999)

Contents

Components of Precision Farming

⇨ Remote Sensing⇨ Geographic

Information System (GIS)

⇨ Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)

⇨ Variable Rate Applicator

Contents

Problems in Indian Agriculture

⇨ Small land holdings⇨ Heterogeneity of cropping

systems and market imperfections

⇨ Lack of technical expertise knowledge and technology (India spends only 0.3% of its agricultural GDP in Research and Development )

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Overview⇨ Seed spacing

The yield is maximum when care is taken to

adequately space them to enable each plant

the optimum requisites for its growth, namely

the soil nutrients, water, sunlight and

protection against pest infestation.

⇨ DGPS Network

1. Enable the farmers to get an accuracy of few

centimeters in the various unit processes

involved in Precision Farming

2. DGPS network would cater to the needs of

multitude of applications of which Precision

Farming is one.

Contents

Feasibility AnalysisArea of India = 329 million hectares Area covered by one reference station of DGPS = 200 km radiusArea of GPS (circular area, PI = 3.14) = PI * (200) 2 sq km = 125600 sq km

= 12.56 million hectaresTotal no. of GPS reference stations required for the country = 329/12.56 =

26Cost of a single DGPS = Rs. 40 lakhsTotal cost of the entire infrastructure= Rs. 10.4 croresContribution of Agriculture to GDP of India for 2000 - 01 = Rs. 430088

croresAmount spent for R&D = 0.3% of GDP = Rs. 1290.264 croresPercentage of amount required from R&D = (10.4 / 1290.264 ) * 100

= 0.81%

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Suggestions for Implementation

⇨ Creation of Multidisciplinary teams of scientists

⇨ Formation of farmer’s co-operatives

⇨ Government legislation restraining indiscriminate practices

⇨ Creation of awareness among farmers, land owners, etc.

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Conclusion

⇨ As the feasibility shows only 0.81% of R&D would be used for the first stage of Precision Farming and so it will take “Indian agriculture into space age”.

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