AIR SPOTLIGHT: MODERN AND SMART AGRICULTURE
Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to policymakers and stakeholders to roll out and start executing the new provisions introduced in the Budget 2022-23 for farm sector with the help of start-ups, banking sector, investors, agricultural universities and cooperatives to strengthen the country’s farm sector, and emphasised on "seven ways" that will make farming in India "modern and smart".
Details:
The seven ways include:
- natural farming on mission mode,
- use of modern technology such as AI and drone,
- Mission Oil Palm to reduce import of edible oils,
- new logistics for transportation of farm products,
- agri-waste (stubble and other residue) management,
- use of over 1.5 lakh post offices to provide regular banking services to farmers, and
- agri research and education.
Smart Farming:
- Smart farming technologies (SFTs) can be divided into three main categories:
- Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS) - FMISs represent mainly software systems for collecting, processing, storing, and disseminating data in the form required to carry out a farm's operations and functions
- Precision Agriculture (PA) Systems – It optimizes input use based on recording technologies (such as remote sensing technologies with either satellite platforms or aircrafts/UAVs for aerial applications, combined use of sensors for ground data acquisition, wireless networks for interconnecting them, geospatial data analytics coming from different sources, decision support systems) to observe and measure inter-and intra-field spatial and temporal variability in crops, aiming to improve economic returns, maintain or even increase production rate and reduce environmental impact for optimized farming decision-making.
- Agricultural Automation and Robotics – They are interconnected to cover the process of applying automatic control, AI techniques, and robotic platforms at all levels of agricultural production.
Benefits of Smart Farming:
- Increasing the amount of real-time data on the crop
- Remote monitoring and controlling of farms
- Controlling water and other natural resources
- Improving livestock management
- Accurate evaluation of soil and crops
- Improving agricultural production
- Eco-friendly farming.
Main Pillars of Smart Farming:
- Internet of Things (loT) –Smart systems enhance the accuracy of devices that monitor plant growth. Smart farm management uses ICT, ground sensors, and control systems installed on robots, autonomous vehicles, and other automated devices.
- Smart Sensors – A sensor is a device, module, machine, or subsystem that detects a physical phenomenon, event or changes in its environment and sends the information/output signal to other electronic system, frequently a computer. A smart sensor can help in the following ways:
- Soil Health Monitoring
- Smart Irrigation System
- Leaf Disease Identification
- Improving Crop Yield
- Improving Post Harvesting Activities
- Smart Animal Husbandry
- Internet Connection.
Innovative Practices for Higher Resource Use Efficiency:
- Precision in Seed Sowing and Planting
- Precision in Nutrient Management
- Smart Fertilisers
- Leaf Colour Chart
- Nutrient Expert (NE): It is a nutrient decision support system, based on site-specific nutrient management principles.
- Urea Deep Placement (UDP): UDP technique, is a good example of a climate-smart solution for rice systems.
Innovative Practices for Efficient Water Management:
- Automation Irrigation System
- On-farm Reservoir
- Deficit Irrigation Supplies
Innovative Practices for Weed and Pest Management:
- New Generation Herbicides
- Herbicide Resistant Crops
- Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Weed Management
Innovative Resource Conserving Practices:
- Laser Land Levelling
- Raised-bed Planting
- Conservation Tillage
Innovative Practices for Higher Productivity and Profitability:
- Crop Diversification
- Integrated Farming Systems
- Conservation Agriculture- The key features of CA are 3 basic principles: 1) Minimum soil disturbance, 2) Maximum soil cover by leaving and managing the crop residues on the soil surface, 3) Crop diversification.
- Organic Farming
Application of Smart Farming in Indian Context:
- India's National Strategy on Al also aims to realise the potential benefits of technology and recognizes agriculture as one of the priority sector areas.
- The GoI has formulated a standard operating procedure (SoP) for use of drones for the purpose of spraying pesticides and fertilizers on agricultural crops.
- Agricultural robot can used to perform many agricultural practices such as provide unconventional solutions to labour shortages, especially in pandemics like COVID-19.
- Grain Bank Model of ERGOS - Ergos has developed a unique Agri-tech model called "Grain Bank Model" that provides doorstep access to end-to-end post-harvest supply chain solutions to small and marginal farmers.
- Smart Decision Support Systems (SDSS) aims to support farmers in making proper decision in irrigation management, fertilization process, and other service operations.
- Monitoring and Risk Management - Yuktix Technologies, an agritech startup based in Bangalore, is providing GreenSense, an off-grid remote monitoring and analytics solution for agriculture farm monitoring. Their solar powered weather stations provide real time weather conditions anytime from anywhere.
- Automatic Watering and Irrigation - This system still needs to be maintained by the operators. In order to improve its efficiency and ensure water demand of the crop, efforts for subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) along with moisture level detectors are helpful in better crop germination and yield.
- Driverless Tractor – Automated/driverless tractors integrated with hardware and special-purpose designed software are working more efficiently in field.
Climate Smart Agriculture:
- It is an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate resilient practices.
- It mainly depends on 3 pillars:
- Productivity
- Adaptation
- Mitigation.
Characteristics of CSA:
- Sustainable: CSA attempts to address climate change's causes and effects by planning and developing of sustainable agricultural systems.
- Eco-friendly: CSA attempts to ensure the sustainability of these services, preventing their degradation.
- Ecosystems provide the agricultural sector with a number of 'unpaid' services-clean natural water, materials, food, sunlight, etc.
- Adaptation and Flexibility: CSA is not a rigid set of particular practices, technologies, or methodologies- it is only a concept amenable to adaptation.
- Context Specificity: CSA is a concept where interventions are made according to the context of the situation.
- Inclusion of the Marginalised: CSA is a concept that ensures inclusivity of the vulnerable and marginalised, inclusive of women. As they possess the marginal lands, they are more vulnerable to climate events like drought and floods.
Government Initiatives:
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research has launched a flagship network project 'National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture' (NICRA) in 2011.
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture derives its mandate from Sustainable Agriculture Mission which is one of the eight Missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change
- National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change: The overall aim of NAFCC is to support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation 'Har Khet ko pant and improving water use efficiency 'More crop per drop' in a focused manner.
- Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) and Organic Agriculture
Digital Agriculture:
- Agricultural practices empowered by digital technologies are referred to as smart farming, digital agriculture and precision agriculture.
- This is an agricultural concept in which various types of data is used to build new methods for planning, production, management and sale of agricultural produce.
Recent Initiatives:
- Digital Agriculture Mission 2021-2025: aims to support and accelerate projects based on new technologies, like AI, blockchain, remote sensing, geographical information systems, and use of drones and robots.
- National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture is already in the second decade of its existence and covers all states and two union territories.
- Ashok Dalwai Committee on doubling farmers' income recognises the importance of smart farming. The committee lists the possible components for modern management of agriculture as the following: Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Internet of Things.
- Central Agri Portal which is serving as a unified central portal for agricultural schemes across the country. The portal helps farmers adopt modern farm machineries through government subsidies.
- e-National Agriculture Market (eNAM) links the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis.
- In June 2021, The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare signed an MoU with Microsoft to run a pilot programme for 100 villages in 6 states. Under the MoU, Microsoft will create a 'Unified Farmer Services Interface' through its cloud computing services.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare had also signed 5 MoUs for pilot projects with five private companies - CISCO, Ninjacart, Jio Platforms Limited, ITC Limited and NCDEX e-Markets Limited (NeML).
Role of Agri-tech start-ups:
- Agritech startups with technologies such as AI, ML and data analytics are making it easier for farmers to improve their methods of farming such as identifying the right crop to be sown for better yield.
- Additionally, they are also offering mechanised equipments on a rental basis.
- Agri-tech startups are taking it up a notch with mobile applications, making it even more convenient for farmers to access information regarding farming and market linkages in a more efficient way.
- Agritech startups ensure that there is financial inclusion by enabling farmers to upload their records digitally and apply for credit, freeing them from the clutches of local moneylenders who may charge unreasonable rates of interest.
- Farming-as-a-Service model (FaaS model) is also emerging as the future of agriculture. It offers innovative solutions for agriculture and allied services through a subscription-based or pay-per-use model.
Challenges:
- Due to small landholdings, the farmers are unable to adopt smart farming with limited knowledge and skills.
- Around 80-90 percent of the country's water consumption occurs within the agriculture and allied space. The practice of flood irrigation makes agriculture's water efficiency poor. Indian agriculture requires 2-3 times water consumption compared to other major agricultural countries.
- The incorrect use of fertilisers as also changing climatic patterns have created problems of salinization, desertification, and degradation.
- Most villages and farming communities do not have access to internet all the time.
- GPS signal transmission is difficult in heterogeneous topography like hilly, forests and field with a dense tree planting.
- Data collection and processing centres and many loT based sensors need uninterrupted and continuous energy for a successful application whereas, developing countries like India are already running out of energy resources.
- Drones with good software, hardware tools, devices, high- resolution cameras, and thermal cameras are expensive. The drones have a small (hour or less) flight duration. Legal limitation of drone use needs permits for the operation due to security point of view. The operation of drones is also affected by climatic conditions particularly wind speed and rains.
Way Forward:
- Agricultural finance to farmers willing to adopt, or those having adopted Smart Agriculture techniques will be a key catalyst in accelerating the process of adoption.
- Extension Services - The adoption requires consistent, comprehensive, and grassroots extension services for farmers. Mobile services can be a key enabler.
- Innovation - Indian agri-startups have been providing affordable, scalable solutions agriculture. The government can incentivize scientific innovation in the field.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/pm-modi-enlists-seven-ways-to-transform-indian-agriculture-urges-start-ups-to-make-farming-smart/articleshow/89807268.cms
https://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in/journals/index.php?route=page/kurukshetra
NEWS IN BRIEF: PRELIMS SPECIAL
MILAN – 2022
- The multilateral exercise of the Indian Navy commenced in Visakhapatnam. This exercise is popular as MILAN 2022.
- The theme for 2022: ‘Camaraderie, Cohesion, Collaboration’
- Aim of the exercise: The multilateral exercise intends to nurture operational skills, introduce best practices and procedures enabling a learning environment on maritime domain and the relative doctrines.
- It is a biennial multilateral naval exercise that took its advent in 1995 by the Indian Navy at Andaman and Nicobar Command.
- This event could not be held in 2001 and 2016 due to International Fleet Reviews.
- At its onset, the MILAN exercise witnessed the participation of only four countries, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Latest-edition-of-Indian-Navy%26%2339%3Bs-multilateral-exercise-MILAN-2022-commences-in-Visakhapatnam&id=436199
PM- DevINE Scheme
- The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance for the infrastructure development in the North-East region which is in line with the spirit of PM Gati Shakti.
- It will commence with an initial allocation of Rs 1500 crore.
- It will offer an immense boost to cancer care units in the region along with dedicated services for the management of Paediatric and Adult Haematolymphoid cancers to be established at Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati.
- A paediatric oncology block will be established that will provide treatment to the patients with common cancers along with the provision of state-of-the art facility.
- It will also stimulate livelihood opportunities for the youth and women.
- This scheme will be an addition to the existing welfare schemes in the North-East region.
https://newsonair.com/2022/02/23/pm-modi-addresses-webinar-on-positive-impact-of-union-budget-on-rural-development/
CORBEVAX
- CORBEVAXTM is India’s first indigenously developed receptor binding domain protein sub-unit vaccine for COVID-19, has received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use in individuals within the age group of 12-18 years.
- This is developed by Biological E Limited with the support of the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
- It is a recombinant protein vaccine which uses the receptor binding domain of the spike protein on the viral surface.
- It is a double dose vaccine that is administered intramuscularly and stored at 2° C to 8° C.
https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=DCGI-grants-Emergency-Use-Authorisation-to-COVID-19-vaccine-Corbevax-for-children-between-12-18-years-of-age-group&id=435949
Devayatanam
- Devayatanam is a unique conference on the temple architecture of India which was inaugurated at Hampi in Karnataka.
- Devayatanam aims to highlight the richness of Indian culture that is reflected through the fascinating architecture of Indian temples.
- It is an international conference which is organised by the Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture.
- The focus of the discussion will be on:
- Temple- Formless to form
- Evolution of temple architecture
- Regional developmental forms
- Different Styles of architecture
- Temples as epicentre of art, culture, education, administration and economy
- Temples as the protector of environment
- Culture diffusion in Southeast Asia
https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=ASI-organizes-2-day-international-conference-Devayatanam-An-odyssey-of-Indian-temple-architecture&id=436133
