From Smart Water Pumps To Drones: Technology Is Changing Indian Farms
Business Of Agriculture|March - April 2019

Disruptive technologies and innovations in application engineering are fast changing farming practices in India. From preparing the land to sowing to reaping and mentoring of the crop, everything today can be done with the aid of sophisticated technology-driven systems.

Alok Kirloskar
From Smart Water Pumps To Drones: Technology Is Changing Indian Farms

Irrigation also has become highly evolved with sophisticated fluid management systems that are well suited for meeting the challenges of bringing fresh water to the farmer’s fields, irrespective of the location, and providing him with complete control over their available water resources.

These hi-tech pump systems are ensuring supply of adequate and timely potable water to farms in the recesses of the country, notwithstanding the challenges such as: difficult terrains or steep gradients; fluctuating or inadequate water pressure; water sources with high impurities; high iron and chlorine content; and unplanned irrigation leading to water shortage and wastage.

On the other hand, precision agricultural technologies, like the one being used in drones, is aiding farmers to better plan and monitor their crops, to ensure greater productivity. On the other, the most remarkable factor about these new-generation farm technologies is that they are completely indigenously engineered and manufactured, hence affordable, widely available and easily serviceable.

The Need for Hi-Tech Water Management Solutions

Wastage of unmonitored irrigation water is the highest cost contributor for the farmer through the crop production cycle. Further, water shortage and water management challenges are so grave in India that it has led to hundreds of farmer suicides over the past few years.

The extent of mismanagement of irrigation resources in India can be gauged from the fact that our farmers use 2-4 times more water during a particular food crop cycle as compared to China or Brazil. In fact, as per the surveys, the agricultural sector uses up to 78 percent of fresh water available in the country, the highest among other sectors.

This story is from the March - April 2019 edition of Business Of Agriculture.

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This story is from the March - April 2019 edition of Business Of Agriculture.

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