Latest Agricultural Innovations
Agriculture, as we all are aware
that majority of the population is depended on the agricultural sector in
India. And thus, it needs to get evolved as new technologies give opportunities
and scopes to increase crop production and thus food for the huge population and
to fulfill the increasing demand of food.
So, here are some latest innovations in the field of agriculture which
are going to help farmers to grow crops easily and will make their work easy-
1-Renewable
energy machines like solar sprayers or solar water pumps-
Well, this is a brand-new innovation in the field of agriculture which
aims at helping farmers to spray pesticides with the help of this solar
sprayer. Also, many solar powered water pumps, inverters and many solar
energies operated equipment are developed by Researchers to decrease the use of
Diesel and wastage of electricity in rural areas where there is deficiency and
for the farmers who cannot afford the high-rate prices of these fuels.
Agri- Vijay, a Pune based Startup came with this idea of Renewable products during the Pandemic and now they are helping farmers in reducing their cost expenditure, more efforts and pollution too.
2-Crop
Sensors-
The next useful and vital tool is the Crop sensor. It is an application
of fertilizers for maximizing absorption. The crop sensors can detect how the
crop is feeling and decrease the risk of leaching and discharge in ground
water. Optical sensors are present in them which
help farmers to determine and then evaluate how much fertilizer a plant needs.
This technology is also going to help farmers with effective use of chemicals
and utilize smart farming.
3-Use of
GIS in farming-
Fields are generally location based and, in this case, GIS software
becomes a very vital and incredibly useful tool in terms of Precision farming.
For the best farming practices, a farmer needs to keep a record of all the
climate changes as well as of temperature,
precipitation, plant health, crop yield and so on. Thus, this technology
helps farmers to map current and future changes regarding these aspects. It
also enables the use of GPS based technologies with
the smart machineries because of which there is reduction in wastage of time,
money, and efforts as now farmers must deal with only those certain areas which
needs pesticides or fertilizers and not treat the whole area.
4-Satelite-
Derived data-
Conducting real-time field monitoring as well as predicting yield has
never been easy with the view of detecting a variety of threats with satellite
data in service. There are several sensors which can give images in various
spectra which further allow the application of numerous spectral indices. For
example- Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)
allows the detection of vegetation content, the plant health and number of
wilting plants. Next is the Modified Soil Adjusted
Vegetation Index (MSAVI)- It is designed to minimize the impact of soil
background in the early development stages of plants. Then, the Normalized Difference RedEdge (NDRE) detects
Nitrogen availability. And lastly, the Canopy
Chlorophyll Content Index (CCCI) which helps in nutrient application.
5-
Drones- Data from the Sky
Drones can collect large amounts of data within a limited time and are
very easy to use but, despite that fact we also may face challenges when using
them on a constant basis as they are not that cheap. Also, when we must monitor
a larger area then it is better to consider technology with satellite
monitoring. Farmers have an opportunity when it comes to define plant height, crop biomass, the presence of weeds and the
water saturation in specific areas of field with high precision with
assistance of Drones. They prevent insects by applying insecticides on the
hazard areas and reduce direct exposure of farmers to chemicals leading to
chemical poisoning.
6- Mitra
It is a Nashik based startup which aims
to improve horticulture farms by improving mechanization and the use of R&D
and high-quality farm equipment and newly developed technologies. MITRA- Machines, Information, Technologies, Resources for
Agriculture.
Air blast sprayers: It is developed for vegetables and fruits like Grapes, especially for Pomegranates. It helps farmers to
spray pesticides or any liquid in short time span, reduces expenditure of
manual labor, helps in the growth of crops by adding plant
growth hormones, and are less time consuming.
7-Eruvaka
Technologies
It is a Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh based
organization. Its aim is to accelerate the use of technologies in Aquaculture which will help farmers to measure and
control water health.
Eruvaka technologies helps farmers to develop solar-powered floating
buoys which measure different water parameters, such as pH range, oxygen levels, temperature, crucial for the growth and
survival of aquatic animals. And to monitor aquaculture ponds. After that the
collected information is uploaded on the cloud and transmitted through the
mobile app to the individual customers or by SMS, internet, or voice call.
Farmers can also monitor this equipment remotely like feeders
and aerators.
