How Technology is the Driving Force for the Transformation of the Agricultural Sector?
Adesh Chaurasia– Agricultural Transformation
We now live in a world where no niche of society is left untouched by the essence of technology. While it’s quite expected for almost all the functions of streams like science, education, etc. to be given a complete digital makeover, it may now not come as a surprise for primitive streams like agriculture to be influenced by mechanisms upheld by technology.
Firstly, I want to mention a relatively fresh and new concept introduced in the world of agriculture that now drives the whole industry in a completely different way as compared to how things went down in the past.
Digital agriculture, also known as precision agriculture, e-agriculture, or smart agriculture, is a relatively fresh and newly introduced field that uses technology to improvise the field of agriculture to maximize the output we get by investing in the available resources making optimum use of them.
Digital agriculture experienced considerable success after the introduction of the green revolution program in the late 1960s. With great positive changes being made by introducing the use of HYV seeds, modern farm implements, good quality pesticides, and insecticides to maximize the yield, modern and effective techniques were expected to get desired results.
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Usage of drones to spray insecticides, weed detection machines, yield mapping systems, etc. were installed. These were all a part of the smart agriculture programs.
Then v/s now
There have been many shortcomings in the agricultural sector that have been continuing for ages. Well, the scenario still prevails, the shortcomings still haven’t ended, but the system is now stronger than ever to handle times of crisis.
Some of these shortcomings are listed below-:
Rain failures
Insect attacks
Poor soil quality
Intense climatic conditions
Low irrigation facilities
Post-harvest obstructions
It’s absolutely right to consider that the scenario is drastically transformed now. In the following part of this article, all the major technological transformations in the field of agriculture are intricately mentioned below-:
All things bright and positive
Tracking systems based on GPS mechanism
The GIS and GPS systems installed in the agricultural areas where crops are to be sown help in detecting all sorts of threats, soil contamination, pest attacks, dryness, lack of nutrients in the soil, etc. Beforehand, and that too on a vast level. This essentially helps to avoid any form of crop failures due to predictable obstructions that can be faced during any time between when the crops are sown till harvest. Such a tracking system also provides information about the best areas from where the maximum level of production can be extracted.
Online data integration and artificial intelligence
Carefully integrating data, related to the best utilization of resources like pesticides, irrigation facilities, high-yielding variety of seeds, etc. will definitely help in increasing the quantities of desired produce.
Many organizations are planning the use of robotic machinery in fields to be used for farm activities like sowing, harvesting, threshing, etc.
If such ideas widely capture the minds of future policymakers, it’s absolutely possible to see robotic harvesters working in farms rather than manual laborers in just a few more years from now.
Satellite and drone imagery
Making use of satellite images taken from above with the help of mini crafts and drones to get a better idea of the predicted weather conditions ahead will guide towards a guaranteed crop success by the end of the season.
Post-harvest checks
Merely monitoring the crop during the growing season isn’t enough. It’s also the after-harvest care that matters. Neatly threshing the produce, drying it, cleaning it, storing it in clean and properly sanitized places is equally important.
Proper transportation and blockchain stabilization
The perishable nature of the product makes it very important to reach the market for sale on time. An efficient transportation system to deliver the product in good condition and also on time is crucial to be considered.
Stabilization of market rates of the product, insulation against the unhealthy market competition, provision against pest attacks, etc. is highly important.
Governmental support
We must not fail to appreciate the efforts of our highly vigilant government authorities who rightly understand the plight and challenges of farmers and agricultural workers. The governmental bodies leave no stone unturned to present a helping hand to the hardworking farmers of our country to overcome any sort of major or minor challenges that obstruct the way to a good yield. Various farmer support programs and policies have been successfully introduced to guide farmers towards a path to give rise to a healthy yield.
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Conclusion
Technological developments have rightly taken over the oldest and one of the major income-generating sectors of the Indian economy. Undoubtedly, the future of this primary source of livelihood for a majority of countrymen is absolutely safe and secure under the flourishing shade of technology and science that is expected to bring advancements to the sector.
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Author- Adesh Chaurasia
He is an active learner, author and speaker when it comes to the subject of national development through scientific and relational ways. He presents his knowledge about his line of work in such a simple yet engrossing manner that it reaches out to the people so as to enhance their knowledge and put it to good use.
