Mini Project Report-2

On
(AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY)

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Two Year Full Time Master of Business Administration

(Affiliated To A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University,

Lucknow)

(SESSION -2020- 2022)

By: Anjali Gaur Under the Guidance of

Dr.Vivek Pachauri
I.T.S- Mohan Nagar
Enrollment No. 200038070008998
Batch: 2020-21

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE,

GHAZIABAD
GT Road, Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad-201007
www.its.edu.in

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 INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE,
GHAZIABAD

Session: 2020-22

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I hereby declare that this Mini Project-2 Report is my own work and that, to the best
of my knowledge and belief, it reproduces no material previously published or
written that has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma, except
where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.

Anjali Gaur
Enrollment No. 200038070008998
Date:

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 INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE,
GHAZIABAD

Session: 2020-22

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Anjali Gaur MBA (2020-22 Batch) a student of Institute of
Technology and Science has undertaken the Mini Project-2 ( KMBN152) on
Agricultural Industry .

The project has been carried out by the student in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of MBA, under my guidance and supervision.

I am satisfied with the work of Ms. Anjali Gaur

Date:

Academic Mentor’s Name: Dr. Vivek Pachauri

(Signature)

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deepest gratitude and sincere thanks to Institute Of

Technology and Science for giving me this opportunity.
I pay deep sense of gratitude to Dr. Vidya Sekhri (Director of MBA
department) to encourage me to the highest peak and to provide me the
opportunity to prepare the project.
I feel acknowledge my indebtness and deep sense of gratitude to my mentor
Dr. Vivek Pachauri for her valuable suggestions, scholarly guidance,
constructive criticism, and constant encouragement at every step of the project.
I wish sincere thanks to all those that have been helpful in preparing this
research project. First of all, I would like to acknowledge my sincere gratitude
to my mentor faculty for this cordial support, valuable information and
guidance, which helped me in completing this task though various stages. Last
of all but not the least I would like to acknowledge my gratitude to the
respondents without whom this survey would have been incomplete.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

S.no Particulars Pg no.

1. Introduction 6.

2. Industry Profile 8.

3. Evolution of use of AgTech in the Industry 13.

4. Agriculture 4.0 14.

5. Examples of modern technology 17.

6. Upcoming technological advancement in agriculture 26.

industry

7. Opportunities and Challenges 28.

8. Conclusion 29.

9. References 30.

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INTRODUCTION
Agriculture in India is livelihood for a majority of the population and can never
be underestimated. Although its contribution in the gross domestic product
(GDP) has reduced to less than 20 per cent and contribution of other sectors
increased at a faster rate, agricultural production has grown. This has made us
self-sufficient and taken us from being a begging bowl for food after
independence to a net exporter of agriculture and allied products.

The rapid growth has helped Indian agriculture mark its presence at global
level. India stands among top three in terms of production of various
agricultural commodities like paddy, wheat, pulses, groundnut, rapeseeds, fruits,
vegetables, sugarcane, tea, jute, cotton, tobacco leaves, etc (GOI, 2008-09).
However, on marketing front, Indian agriculture is still facing the problems
such as low degree of market integration and connectivity, accessibility of
reliable and timely information required by farmers on various issues in
agriculture. Also, the agricultural marketing sector is characterized by
fragmented supply chain. Huge postharvest losses, multiple market
intermediaries; higher transaction cost, lack of awareness and several other
socio-economic factors are some of the acute problems being faced by the
Indian agriculture.
The reforms towards privatization, liberalization and globalization affected
inputs market at a faster pace. Agricultural marketing reforms after 2003 made
changes in marketing of agricultural outputs by permitting private investment in
developing markets, contract farming and futures trading, etc.
Advantageous weather and soil conditions, high demand for food, untapped
opportunities, various fiscal incentives given by the government for inputs,
production infrastructure, availability of cheap credit facilities and for
marketing and export promotion are attracting many individuals, big companies,
startups and entrepreneurial ventures to do a lot of investments on innovations,
inventions, research and development and on other aspects of business.
The new or modern technology in agricultural sector can substantially improve
the agricultural production and

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Sustainability. For instance, best management practices for improvement of
agriculture are widely applied nowadays. New disease resistant hybrids,
reduced
Pesticide use, biological pest control, cultural practices which can reduce the
incidence of pests and diseases. Insect-specific chemicals and biological insect
controls are now being utilized, instead of broad-spectrum pesticides, which
actually reduce the number of sprays needed and therefore its capitals. GIS,
Crop models and remote sensing can provides information to farmers for
Realizing precision agriculture, which is done by matching inputs based on
actual yields of different portions on the field. These tools play an important
role and also allow agriculture to manage land for both agriculture and wildlife.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

The agriculture industry in India reached a value of INR 63,506  Billion in

2020. The agriculture industry represents an important component of the
Indian economy both in terms of its contribution to the GDP as well as a
source of employment to the majority of the country’s population. This
sector is currently showing immense opportunities, with India presently
being one of the world’s largest agricultural producers by value. A number
of transformations have taken place in this sector over the past few
decades. These include - rising penetration of the organized sector, growth
in contract farming, agriculture becoming more mechanized, easy loan
facilities, rise of exports, use of agrochemicals and high yielding seeds, and
an increasing role of the private sector in processing, branding and
marketing, etc. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the agriculture
industry in India to reach a value of INR 125,350 Billion by 2026,
exhibiting a CAGR of 12% during 2021-2026.

Indian Agriculture Industry: Market Drivers

 India is the second-largest populated country accounting for 18% of

the total world population. With an increase in the population, the need
for various agricultural products has increased significantly. This rise
has prompted the farmers to adopt enhanced technologies and methods
in dairy, fisheries and livestock in order to meet the diversified food
needs of the people. Additionally, more than 50% of India’s population
is dependent on agricultural products which is further promoting the
growth of the market.
 Over the past few years, India’s GDP has been growing at a steady
pace which has resulted in a rise in the disposable incomes of the
consumers. This rise has driven the agriculture market both in terms of
the producer and consumer. It has enabled farmers to invest more in
advanced agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, quality
seeds, equipment’s, fertilizers, warehousing, cold storage, etc. It has
also increased the consumers purchasing power creating a positive
impact on the domestic demand of agriculture products.

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  India represents one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world.
The country encompasses various types of climatic conditions and soil
types suitable for cultivating a large number of cereals, fruits,
vegetables, flowers, cash crops, etc. The Indo-Gangetic plain, for
instance, represents one of the most fertile lands across the globe. In
addition, India also represents the second largest fish producing
country in the world. The country has diverse resources ranging from
deep seas to lakes in the mountains and more than 10% of the global
biodiversity in terms of fish and shellfish species.
 Government support plays a vital role in the growth of the Indian
agriculture sector as agriculture remains a primary means of livelihood
for more than 50% to 60% of the India’s total population and as such
represents the most important vote bank for any government. The
Indian government is providing subsidies to farmers on water, power,
agricultural equipment, fertilizers, hybrid seeds, etc. The Government
has also exempted agriculture income under the Indian income tax act,
meaning income earned from agricultural operations is not taxed.
Moreover, both state and central government often waive off loans
given to farmers.
 The introduction of contract farming has also created a positive
impact on the agriculture industry. Contract farming reduces the load
on the central and state level procurement system by increasing the
private sector investments.

Market Stats

 As a matter of fact, the agriculture industry in India accounts for

15.87% of India’s GDP.
 As per the India economic survey 2018, the production of agriculture
activity in India stands at $375.61 billion. Moreover, India is 2nd
larger producer of agriculture products. It accounts for 7.39% of the
total global agricultural
 Alternatively, Gross Value Added by agriculture, forestry and fishing
was approximately 2.7% in the fiscal year 2019.
 Let alone in 2018-19, India registered a record food grain production
of 285.17 million tonnes.

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  Additionally, total agricultural exports from India grew at a CAGR of
16.45 per cent over FY10-18. The agricultural exports from India
were US$ 38.54 billion in FY19.
 Not only is this but India the largest producer, consumer and exporter
of spices and spice products.
 As a matter of fact, the Agriculture Industry in India was valued at
USD 32.2 billion in 2018 and is expected to register a CAGR of 4.1%
during the forecast period (2019-2024).

Map – Industry Clusters

Fig: 1

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Growth Drivers

 Agriculture is one of the largest industries in India. In fact, it is

ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and
expected growth.
 Further, India is the second largest fruit producer in the world.
 Not to mention this Agriculture remains a primary means of
livelihood for more than 50% to 60% of India’s total population.
 Besides, in FY 2019, agriculture exports were US$ 38.54 billion.
 Hence, as per the Economic Survey, India’s gross domestic product
(GDP) growth is expected to strongly rebound to 6-6.5 per cent in
2020-21.

India’s National Strategy on AI recognises agriculture as a priority sector

for implementation of AI-driven solutions. According to the Niti Aayog, AI
in agriculture is expected to grow at a rate of 22.5 percent CAGR, and is
likely to be valued at $2.6 billion by 2025. AI can help farmers predict
weather patterns. Big Data helps improve the yield, reduces risk, and
increases efficiency. With the right data, farmers will be able to take timely
decisions, on what crop to sow, when to sow it, and what method to use.

In recent years, the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector has
been more pronounced. The Indian government’s Economic Survey (2018)
estimated that adverse effects of climate change led to an annual loss of $9-
10 billion. There is no doubt that climate-resilient technologies are the need
of the hour, and precision agriculture enables farmers to tackle climate
change challenges with ease and efficiency. Precision agriculture uses IoT-
based approaches that make farming more accurate and deliver more
precise outcomes. Based on this, farmers can make informed decisions. It
utilises deep data about a specific location and crops to optimise processes,
making them more efficient, both in terms of resource utilisation as well as
cost. It also leads to more sustainable agricultural practices.

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Agriculture is now more transparent, efficient and sustainable

Today, with the help of digital agricultural solutions built using computer
vision and deep-learning algorithms, farmers can monitor crop and soil
health, know about the genetic engineering of seeds, learn best practices for
cultivation, and engage in better livestock monitoring. They can use
predictive analytics-based tools to understand environmental impacts on
crop yields and plan the best course of action. We also have easy-to-use
digital platforms, which help farmers adapt faster to climate-smart
agricultural practices, especially in flood and drought-prone regions. One
such solution is CropIn’s digital platform which monitors and captures
farm-level data and delivers real-time advisories on season-wise crop
configurations, weather-based advisories, information about sowing, soil
health, seed treatment, fertiliser application, treatment of crop disease
and treatment of livestock.

TraceX Technologies is another startup that is helping farmers adopt

sustainable agricultural practices. Its digital agriculture platform makes the
agricultural supply chain more efficient, traceable and transparent. This has
led to better quality, food safety, and customer commitments.

Decision intelligence platforms, like the one built by SatSure, use satellite
images, machine learning, for accurate crop monitoring. In the aftermath of
natural disasters, this helps decision-makers and authorities get accurate
information to disburse relief to distressed farmers on time.

There are sensors and drones that are helping farmers fight pests, spray
pesticides, and monitor crop health, among others.

We also have direct farmer-to-consumer platforms developed by startups

like Kalgudi that directly connect farmers to end consumers to prevent
exploitation by middlemen, and improve their livelihoods.

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 EVOLUTION OF USE OF AGTECH IN INDUSTRY

"Around 900 million people in the world suffer from hunger, and by 2030, 12%
of the world population will become undernourished. Furthermore, by 2050, we
will need 70% more food production to fulfill the hunger for three times a
day." - from the reports of the United Nations World Summit, 2015.
However, in some of the last months of the year 2020 due to the COVID-19
Corona virus pandemic, the global Agriculture GDP has decreased by 3%.
That means we are not close at all in finding a solution to the problems in
agriculture. Now, many global trends are impacting food security and the
sustainability of the agriculture system in many countries.
 
As a result, we need to act differently in the farm and agricultural operations to
meet the challenges of Food Scarcity, Food Waste, Climate Change, and
Demographics!

In doing so, we need an evolution of agriculture technology that is capable

enough to bring out a solution for agriculture problems and food production
needs. 
Yes, this is achievable, if the world governments, businesses, and technologies
combine with each other to create a new revolution of agriculture system and
market!
This collaboration might appear easy for you. But upon effective
implementation to meet 'today's unending food hunger' by 2030, it is highly
costly with an annual worldwide investment of $280 billion.
And the most prominent key role is of the governments with their schemes,
goal-oriented programs to drive us to the evolution of agricultural marketing.
Additionally, a cluster approach from businesses, technologies, tech tycoons, 
Hence, the obtained ecosystem, i.e., AGRICULTURE 4.0 will put the
foundation future of agriculture technology at the world level.

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What is Agriculture 4.0?
The stressed natural resources such as global deforestation, soil degradation,
unsuitable lands, greenhouse gas emission, overgrazing, improper crop rotation,
unbalanced fertilizer use, and climate changes like floods, drought, water
scarcity disturb the food production timeline. 
All these create problems in agriculture & farming; thus, impacting the
globalized food supply system and increasing the selling price of food grown.
As a result, it leads to hunger, poverty, and the farmers never get their share of
the money!
“AGRICULTURE 4.0 is the only solution of agriculture problems, which is
green and has science & technology at its heart.” In the new evolution of
agriculture technology, farmers will use minimum quantities of water,
fertilizers, pesticides, organic seeds, and more, making abundant and clean
resources on a specific target area to grow crops, not only on the fertile land but
on the arid climate too!
To meet this firsthand, we are providing cost-effective, IT solutions for
Agriculture in USA that revolutionize the entire food value chain!
So, what are the digital and technological advancements, new technologies and
solutions in the Agriculture 4.0 industry that meet problems in agriculture and
farming?

IT Solutions for Agriculture Technology!

To take full control of your land, farms, and farming equipment, you need to
manage farming solutions effortlessly while automating crop production. Also,
a farmer must think upon the irrigation facilities, food safety measures,
customer relations management, inventory pricing, and accounting. 
We help our clients/customers create agriculture software solutions that
promote their agribusiness and let the farmers make data-driven decisions for
sustainable business growth in farming.
With this aim, we’ve set different IT solutions for agriculture to develop,
confirm, and balance innovations by providing teams, technologies, and
expertise in precision farming, AI automation, GPS guidance systems, cloud
computing, remote IoT sensing, including soil mapping, location mapping
services, and remote sensing.

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With our goal to convert farming into smart farming, we help you to integrate
new technologies and digital agriculture solutions such as;

  Precision Agriculture Software Solutions

  Livestock Management
  Farm Management Software Services
  Aquaculture Software Services
  Seed-To-Sale Development
  Agriculture Drone Software Development
  Indoor Vertical Farming Services
  Modern Greenhouses Farming Services
  Soil Mapping And Crop Sensor Solutions
  Breeding And Cattle Management Solutions
  Agricultural Drone Spraying & Seeding Solution
  Cannabis Mobile App Development Solution

Fig: 2

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Technology adoption in Agriculture

Technology in agriculture can be used in different aspects of agriculture

such as the application of herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer, and improved
seed. Over the years, technology has proved to be extremely useful in the
agricultural sector. Presently, farmers are able to grow crops in areas where
they were thought could not grow, but this is only possible through
agricultural biotechnology. For example, genetic engineering has made it
possible to introduce certain trains into other genes of crops or animals.
Such engineering boosts the resistance of the crops to pests and droughts.
Through technology, farmers are in a position to electrify every process for
efficiency and improved production.

There has been a limitation on how to speed the process of modern

technological adoption in agriculture. This can be attributed to the fact that
speeding up this concept involves a lot of knowledge and the understanding
of some of the elements that influence the decision of farmers to adopt
modern technology in farming. Institutional, social and economic are some
of the factors that influence how fast or slow agricultural technologies are
adopted. The land size, cost and benefits of technology, are some of the
economic factors that determine the rate of agricultural technology
adoption. Farmers’ education level, age, social groupings, and gender are
some of the social factors that influence the probability of a farmer to adopt
modern agricultural technologies.

Small scale farmers face both internal and external challenges as far as the
adoption of modern agricultural technologies is concerned. This aspect
accounts for the slow rate at which such technologies are adopted.
Regardless of the challenges, what matters is whether modern technology
has any value in the agricultural sector. The following section highlights
the significance of modern technology in agriculture.

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 Our modern farms and agricultural operations use technological advancements,
including sensors, devices, machines, IT, GPS technology, and more to
reengineer the food production services and agriculture marketing systems. 

The agribusiness solutions discussed above use latest technology services like:

    AI Development Services

    Block chain Development
    Software Development
    Mobile App Development
    IoT Development Solution
    Data Science Services

Still, for an industry that lags behind others in adopting technology, the
challenges go beyond the dollars of investment flowing into AgTech
(Agriculture + Technology).
Smarter farms require smart farm workers to operate the new technology along
with business, government regulations, trade, and tax policies, and even the
simplest of technology infrastructure.
All this would make an ecosystem of innovative farming!
 

Some examples of how modern technology can be used to improve

agriculture:
1. Monitoring and controlling crop irrigation systems via smartphone
Mobile technology is playing an important role in monitoring and controlling
crop irrigation systems.
With this modern technology, a farmer can control his irrigation systems from a
phone or computer instead of driving to each field.
Moisture sensors in the ground are able to communicate information about the
level of moisture present at certain depths in the soil.
2. Ultrasounds for livestock
Ultrasound is not only for checking on baby animals in the womb. It also can be
used to discover what quality of meat might be found in an animal before it
goes to the market.

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The testing of DNA helps producers to identify animals with good pedigrees
and other desirable qualities. This information can also be used to help the
farmer to improve the quality of his herds.
3. Usage of mobile technology and cameras
Some farmers and ranchers use apps like ‘Foursquare’ to keep tabs on
employees. They also put up cameras around the farm.
Livestock managers are wiring up their barn feedlots and pastures with cameras
that send images back to the central location like an office or home computer.
They can keep a closer eye on the animals when they are away or home for the
night.
4. Crop Sensors
Crop sensors help apply fertilizers in a very effective manner, maximizing
uptake. They sense how your crop is feeling and reduce the potential leaching
and runoff into ground water.
Instead of making a prescription fertilizer map for a field before you go out to
apply it, crop sensors tell application equipment how much to apply in real time.
Optical sensors are able to see how much fertilizer a plant may need, based on
the amount of light reflected back to the sensor.

5. Weather Modification

Weather modification is the conscious modification or manipulation of the

environment, with the main purpose of bringing about changes in the weather
conditions. A recognized technology is known as cloud observation, to increase
the chance of rain or snow to regulate the local water supply. In the distant
future, with advancements, there will be climate engineering, intervening
directly in the climate system.

6. Biotechnology

Biotech or genetic engineering (GE) is not a new technique, but it is an

important tool with much more potential, yet to be unleashed. The form of GE
most people have possibly heard of is herbicide resistance. The other would
possibly be insect resistant traits. The use of insecticides and pesticides are
made use of to control pests that may damage the crops. In most cases,
biotechnology toxins are made use of that is the same toxin found in some

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organic pesticides. Insecticides and pesticides should be of good quality that
crops can easily adapt to and help in augmenting productivity.

7. Indoor Vertical Farming

Indoor vertical farming can be defined as the practice of growing produce stacked
one above another in a closed and controlled environment. By using growing shelves
mounted vertically, it significantly reduces the amount of land space needed to grow
plants compared to traditional farming methods. This type of growing is often
associated with city and urban farming because of its ability to thrive in limited
space.

Fig: 3

Vertical farms are unique in that some setups don’t require soil for plants to grow.
Most are either hydroponic, where vegetables is grown in a nutrient-dense bowl of
water, or aerologic, where the plant roots are systematically sprayed with water and
nutrients. In lieu of natural sunlight, artificial grow lights are used.

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Vertical Farming Advantages
From sustainable urban growth to maximizing crop yield with reduced labor costs,
the advantages of indoor vertical farming are apparent.
 Reliable Harvests with Maximum Crop Yield

Recent technological advances in the agriculture space allow vertical farms to control
every aspect of growing crops. Variables such as light, humidity, and water can all be
precisely measured year round. Since crops are no longer reliant on weather patterns,
temperatures, or daylight, this means produce can be reliably grown 24/7. As food
production around the world will need to increase by 70% by 2050 to feed the
world’s population, vertical farming’s ability to maximize crop yields will be crucial
in the future.

 Reduced Labor Costs

Labor has always been a pain point in agriculture -- it’s one of the most expensive
aspects of farming and the industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. A
survey conducted by the California Farm Bureau Federation found that 56% of
farmers were unable to hire all the employees they needed at some point in the last 5
years. Vertical farming can significantly reduce labor needs, and therefore cost, by
using robots to handle harvesting, planting, and logistics.

 Optimized Energy Conservation

Vertical farms are built to optimize energy conservation by significantly reducing

water and energy usage. Studies show that vertical farms use up to 70% less
water than traditional farms, which is key in drought-prone zones. 

Vertical farms use up to 70% less water than traditional farms.

By using cameras and sensors, the data collected can help vertical farmers optimize
light, temperature, and humidity levels to find the perfect balance necessary in
producing food. Experts in sensor technology regularly tweak the environment inside
vertical farms to increase productivity and enhance the food’s taste.

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  Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly Growth

Indoor vertical farms take up significantly less land space than traditional methods,
which makes it appealing in local urban farming centers. The structures can be easily
built close to large city populations, cutting down the amount of time and travel it
takes for produce to reach the consumer. With a reduced supply distribution chain,
food gets to the consumer’s table faster and fresher while also reducing its carbon
footprint on the planet.

Fig: 4

 No Pesticides or Herbicides

Since indoor vertical farms are completely sealed off from the outside environment,
there are virtually no pests. As a result, there is virtually no need for pesticides or
herbicides. Food grown is healthier, safer, and certified organic, making it even more
appealing to consumers.

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Vertical Farming Companies

It is obvious that vertical farming is a beneficial alternative to traditional farming.

The burgeoning industry is supported by leading venture capitalists, most famously
seen in Softbank’s $200 million Series B investment in vertical farming
startup Plenty. Plenty’s 52,000 square foot vertical farming facility paves the way for
more vertical farming companies to bet on this industry.

 Aero farms

This New Jersey based startup has developed an geoponic growing system
that can grow without soil or sun, in any location. Aero farms has proven to
use 95% less water, 390 times more land efficient, 30 crops per season, and
even the produce flavor is better. Each plant is monitored on more than
130,000 data points that is reviewed and tested using predictive analytics to
improve their growing systems. With remote monitoring and controls in place,
they have minimized the typical risks associated with traditional agriculture.

 Iron Ox

Iron Ox is the first vertical farm to be run (almost) entirely by robots. The
company has developed two robotic systems: one wheeled robot moves
pallets of seeds around the warehouse and a robotic arm picks up individual
plants and moves them from each pallet. Their hydroponic growing system
uses 90% less water over traditional farming while growing 30 times the
amount of crops per acre of land.

 Babylon Micro-farms
Babylon Micro-farms provides an on-demand indoor farming service
to make sustainable indoor farming more accessible than ever before.
Their farms grow fresh produce 2x faster using 90% less water than
conventional agriculture, without the use of pesticides or harmful
chemicals. Their business model drastically reduces the upfront costs
and expertise associated with indoor agriculture, powered by a
patented IoT platform that remotely operates the ecosystem of farms.

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 Smallhold

Smallhold provides retailers and restaurants with contained-environment

vertical farm units that produce large amounts of mushrooms, herbs, and leafy
greens with minimal labor. Their current product offering is with on-site
mushroom production and can produce up to 120 lbs / week in the space of a
bookcase. The mushrooms are certified organic and are competitive with
conventional ways of growing.

Precision farming is a holistic approach that involves integrating precise

farming techniques to achieve maximum output with minimum resources all
while conserving the environment. It is fast gaining relevance due to its
positive impact on the environment and the pockets of farmers. Under
precision farming, all the activities conducted are heavily influenced by
technology. There are over 20 technology essentials that are employed in
precision farming. In this article we will address the most important
technology essentials in precision farming.

8. Global Satellite Positioning System

This is the most important aspect of precise farming. Without GPS, there is no
precise farming. GPS has been extensively used in farm machinery such as
tractors, drones and remote sensors. As a satellite navigation system, it has
pinpoint accuracy on the time and position of each element on the farm. It can
be used to map the farm and all its resources within. This is particularly
helpful when making a plan for your farm. You know where the water bodies
are located, where the richest soils are found and the distance between each
resource. GPS can also be used in guiding farm machinery. It is installed in a
tractor and commands such as the distance to move, its speed, and the task it
will handle are input. It is very accurate and rarely causes any errors. It can
also be used in times of strong winds, rain or fog.

9. Advanced Farm Machinery

Precise farming will only work if the equipment being used is of high
standard. This includes farm machinery, farm production equipment, wireless
sensors and mobile devices. Machinery such as precision hoes is required in
order to effectively perform weeding. The hoes are manufactured specifically
for use with GPS guided tractors. Irrigation equipment also needs to adhere to

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 equal spacing between the emitters in order for all crops to receive an equal
share of moisture. Devices such as laptops and phones are used to record,
display and process the data sent from the GPS or remote sensing equipment.
Since the information is being relayed raw, the electronic device needs to have
a high processing power. Such items do not come cheap, but their importance
cannot be understated.

10.Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is collection of data from the farm without there being any
physical contact. It has multiple uses around the farm, hence its importance as
a technology essential in precision farming. Crop identification and crop
analysis are some of the applications of remote sensing equipment such as
imaging spectrometers. These are devices that can sense the light energy
(spectral signature) reflected by plants, soils and animals. They use that
spectral signature to distinguish elements in the farm. The same spectral
signature is also used in identifying infestation of pests and diseases in the
farm. Crops which are infested with pests emit a different spectral signature
from healthy crops.

The applications of remote sensing in agriculture are numerous and varied.

Other applications include: estimating the soil moisture, monitoring weather
patterns, mapping farm resources and estimating yield production.

11.Variable Rate Technology (VRT)

Variable rate technology involves application of farm inputs at a precise rate,

time and position. It is intended to reduce wastage and get increased yields
from the same size of land. It is commonly used when sowing, irrigating,
weeding and fertilizer application. In order for VRT to work, it requires GPS,
advanced farm machinery, VR software and an electronic processor. When
seeding, the planter is input with seeds and set to the number of revolutions
per hour and quantity of seeds per hole. This ensures the seeds are only sowed
where necessary. When applying fertilizer, the system follows a pre-set format
where fertilizer is applied at optimum. This reduces the chances of fertilizer
loss through leaking which has adverse effects on the environment.

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12.Automated Steering System

Auto steering has been practiced before in farming, but it was not very
successful. The introduction of advanced real-time kinematic global
positioning system (RTK-GPS) made the process more efficient. RTK-GPS
was integrated with auto-steering software and the results were much better. In
precision farming, the tractor needs to move uniformly throughout the farm.
Achieving such a task with human-driven tractors is not possible. Farmers
often skip patches of land and overlap on rows, but with auto-steering it will
be uniform from point A to Z. The auto-steering software reduces human error
since it has an accuracy of + or –30mm.

13. Data management system

To record, process, store and disseminate all the data collected in precision
farming, you require an efficient data management system. Data collected by
remote sensors and GPS is raw which makes it very complicated. It needs to
be processed by an expert before it can be consumed by famers. With a proper
data management system, you can monitor your farm, take high resolution
images and process them using advanced software. Ensure the system has a
high accuracy to avoid distorting the data. A proper data management system
also prevents loss of data.

Technology is changing rapidly as is the world and its population. New

methods of farming which have better results need to be adopted rapidly
across the world to ensure food security. With precision farming and advanced
technology, major world problems like food shortage and environmental
degradation can be solved. Some technology essentials are complicated and
expensive to implement, but their effects are long lasting and affordable in the
long run.

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UPCOMING TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT IN
AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY

Climate change, degradation of our ecosystem and Covid-19 have reminded us

that we urgently need to build recovery plans for developing new food security
systems and decentralized food supply chains. To further complicate things, the
global population is projected to rise to 9.8 billion people by 2050. The UN
reports that according to this scenario, we would need the natural resources of
almost three planets in order to sustain our current way of life. This means that
we will not only have to change our lifestyles, but we will also need to do more
and better, with significantly less.

Better Farming

Fortunately, we are currently witnessing the rise of one of the most important
industries of the future: sustainable agriculture technologies, or AgTech as this
sector is commonly called. This emerging industry sector is focused on
reinventing farming from being a labor-intensive profession to a new kind of
tech career. By bringing big data management technologies, smart sensors,
artificial intelligence systems and predictive analytics into farming, the AgTech
sector can make agriculture far more efficient, precise and resilient in the face
of environmental challenges and severe weather. And this is not the only benefit
that this emerging sector can provide.

Sustainable Farming

There are many issues with traditional farming that make this industry
unsustainable and unreliable: an aging and shrinking workforce, poor harvesting
practices, and extensive use of water resources, large-scale land cultivation and
long-distance food transportation practices. Each year, an estimated $1
trillion worth of food ends up rotting due to poor industry practices, and this
doesn’t even factor in all the other associated expenses related to growing the
food. All of these are problems that wait to be addressed and resolved, making
this industry ripe for disruption. But one thing that this industry terribly needs is
a new image capable of changing the perception of what farming is and what
farmers do.

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Smart Farming

What most people still don’t realize is that “smart” farming (the kind that
AgTech is capable of creating) is very different from the traditional concept of
farming. While for some the image of the farmer is a person carrying a
pitchfork and riding a tractor, the new generation of farmers can run their farms
from an app on their phone while flying a drone and utilizing a wide range of
sensors and machine-learning capabilities. Also, agriculture nowadays is no
longer constrained only to large fields of crops in the countryside. In recent
times, and with the help of new technological advances, we can grow food
indoors (hydroponically) in urban environments, and even on board
the International Space Station.

Urban Farming

Such advances in farming mean that the AgTech sector can help combat inner-
city food deserts by enabling conditions for new food growing practices to
flourish under previously impossible conditions. New technologies, combined
with a new network of rooftop farms, indoor and vertical farming facilities,
create a suite of new opportunities for both local communities and businesses.
In fact, if we think creatively, we can even repurpose warehouses, abandoned
shopping malls and multistory parking garages and convert them into urban
micro-farms. By making our cities farm-ready, we will not only create
“greener” cities, but also a new farming ecosystem that can allow for fresh food
to grow where the people live.

Beyond Farming

While most AgTech companies are still trying to sell their services to current
farming conglomerates, I believe the future of this sector lies elsewhere. What
almost no one seems to have realized yet is that this is one of the very few
industry sectors that are actually aligned with many of the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). In fact, at least nine out of the 17 SDGs can
benefit from further development of AgTech. This is important to be noted
because two highly influential market demographics today, millennials and Gen
Z, are early adopters who actively seek to support or invest in companies that
incorporate such values in their business models.

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New Markets

For millennial, sustainable farmers are already seen as the “new heroes” of food
production, and Gen Z shares much of the same worldview as them, if not more.
Furthermore, as “digital natives,” members of these generations can play a
critical role in creating the future AgTech workforce. In fact, one study on
millennial in the workplace highlights that 94% of them would like to use their
skills to benefit a cause — and if their time commitment prohibits them from
that, they will be inclined to provide financial support instead. AgTech
companies that will engage these demographics now will win in the long-term.

Opportunities and Challenges

As far as long-term investment goes, this is perhaps the most stable and
predictable market to invest in. As the world population continues to grow, so
will the need for food. The industry, however, will need to make an effort to
communicate its values and environmental benefits to both millennials and Gen
Z members and invite them to embark on a career in the AgTech sector. Doing
so calls for radically changing the image of the industry and the concept of what
it means to be a farmer. Nevertheless, this is key to resolving one of the largest
concerns of agriculture today: the critical skills shortage.

The World Needs AgTech

As the World Economic Forum points out, unlike other tech disruptions that we

have seen in the past, the focus of this industry disruption is not on consumer
convenience or entertainment, but on something far more important: our
collective survival. So, next time you are thinking about which industry you
should invest in or which industry sector you should support, please consider
AgTech. Our future will depend on it.

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CONCLUSION
The significance of usage of technology in the agricultural sector has been
recognized with the main purpose of meeting the food requirements of the
individuals. India has made progress in agriculture, but productivity of the
major agricultural and horticultural crops is low in comparison to other
countries. There are still deficits in the usage of technology. Yields per hectare
of food grains, fruits and vegetables within the country are far the below global
averages. Even India’s most productive states are behind the global average.
Similarly, the productivity of pulses and oilseeds can be increased, through
giving consideration to the seeds, soil health, pest management, crop life-saving
irrigation methods and post-harvest technology.

India’s population is expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2025, making food

security most important social issue and food production will have to be
increased substantially, to meet the requirements of an increasing population. In
rural areas, there are number of people who are residing in the conditions of
poverty and backwardness. Agriculture is the primary occupation of the
individuals in rural areas, hence, usage of technology and modern and
innovative techniques and methods will prove to be advantageous for
improvement in the living conditions of the individuals and in alleviating the
problems of poverty. There are numerous technologies and individuals
employed in the agricultural sector and farming practices need to possess
knowledge and information, how to make best use of them.

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REFERENCES
1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/563501/EPR
S_STU%282016%29563501_EN.pdf
2. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2019/629209/IPO
L_STU(2019)629209_EN.pdf
3. https://www.smaragd-smartfarming.nl/en
4. https://www.wur.nl/en/project/Pixel-cropping.htm
5. https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/opinion-and-blog/evolution-
agriculture-industry-its-role-agricultural-innovation
6. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-
insights/agricultures-connected-future-how-technology-can-yield-new-
growth

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