Introduction

India is the second-largest producer of food in the world with heavy reliance on agriculture, the primary livelihood for its rural population. The sector faces a number of challenges to meet the increasing food demand of the Indian populace in offering them food security, the state of having reliable access to sufficient quantity of affordable healthy food to the populace.

Challenges faced by the Sector include:

• Small landholdings;
• Unpredictable weather;
• Low productivity, and;
• Dependence on traditional farming methods.

The main obstacles faced by the sector include:

• Crop loss caused by unpredictable weather;
• Uncontrolled pest attacks;
• Majority farmers still depending on seasonal monsoon rains for irrigation, and;
• Continuing use of traditional farming practices.

In addition, Indian agriculture also faces structural hurdles like small size of landholdings. Small and marginal farmers with less than two hectares of land account for just over 86% of all farmers in India with low productivity, making the small landholdings often not profitable.

Small & Marginal farmers have limited access to essential inputs such as:

• Water;
• Fertilizers;
• Electricity;
• Tractors;
• Harvesters;
• Drip irrigation and similar technologies.

Agricultural yields are also among the lowest globally, due to factors like:

• Low soil fertility;
• Insufficient fertilizer use, and;
• Traditional farming practices, with additional challenges including:
• Soil degradation;
• Overuse of leguminous and fodder crops, and;
• Unscientific farming methods, all increasing the difficulties faced by the farmers.

Need to adopt Precision Agriculture

The government of India has set an ambitious goal of doubling farmers’ income. To achieve this goal the agricultural sector needs to embrace advanced technology such as precision agriculture to enhance farmers’ productivity.

The main goals of Precision agriculture also known as precision farming, a type of high-tech farming include achieving:

• Highest yield;
• Sustainability, and;
• Maximum production.

One of the precision agriculture examples has been the use of Drones equipped with multispectral sensors that capture images across multiple wavelengths of light, including visible (red, green, blue) and non-visible (near-infrared, red-edge) spectrums.

The Ways Drones help farmers

• Enable farmers to increase crop yields and promote environmental sustainability through precision agriculture and innovative farming methods;
• Help cut costs by reducing manual pesticide spraying expenses and lowering pesticide exposure for workers;
• Allow for efficient and fast pesticide application, improving pest control and decreasing environmental pollution;
• India’s diverse agro-climatic zones result in varied cropping patterns and agricultural practices which necessitate specialised solutions for crop monitoring and management. Drones prove an effective tool in this;
• Drones equipped with sensors enable crop health monitoring throughout the growing season, allowing farmers to make timely interventions based on assessments of nutrient deficiencies and pest attacks;
• Drones help monitor soil moisture levels and crop health, enabling farmers to optimise irrigation practices and conserve water resources;
• Drones serve as an early warning system for disease detection, weed management and identification of issues before visible symptoms appear;
• Drones provide real-time, high-quality aerial imagery helping assess soil properties;
• Drones ensure need-based, precise, and focussed applications for crop inputs, such as:
• Determining the correct amounts of fertilizers and pesticides to use;
• Identifying areas for irrigation;
• Assessing production readiness, and;
• Locating areas for planting and harvesting.

This can be performed in real time using minimal resources.

Transition to Agriculture 4.0

Drones are expected to play a crucial role in the transition to Agriculture 4.0 also known as smart farming or digital farming, representing the 4^th major revolution in agricultural practices, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to optimise food production and resource management.

Agriculture 4.0 emphasises integrating the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, and robotics throughout the entire agricultural production and supply chain.

Drone Adoption in India

Global trends have shown promising results in the Countries like the United States and Japan, having demonstrated how drones can boost agricultural productivity. Drones are now being used in agriculture for tasks like crop monitoring and pesticide spraying & have gained significant attention worldwide.

However, India’s specific challenges, such as small farm sizes and limited access to technology call for customised solutions suited to its socio-economic and agro-climatic conditions.

In India, where 70% of rural people are farmers contributing 15 % to India’s GDP, the government is actively working to implement Drone technology across various agricultural sectors.

Epilogue

In India, over 86 % farmers have small landholdings with external factors such as weather, soil conditions, and temperature, significantly influencing farming.

Agricultural drones enable farmers to adapt to specific environments and make informed decisions.

Drones are used in crop spraying, evenly distributing pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides across fields, reducing not only the labor costs, but also minimising farmers’ exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Crop health monitoring utilises High-resolution Cameras and Artificial Intelligence, detecting early signs of diseases, pest infestations, and water stress.

Drones in India are also assisting with seed planting, especially in areas that are hard to reach or have difficult terrain.

Innovative and advanced technologies like precision farming can provide farmers with many opportunities to cultivate higher-yielding crops suited to specific areas.

Precision agriculture enables farmers to use inputs such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides more efficiently, reducing waste and environmental impact. Modern farming techniques and Artificial Intelligence (AI) present promising solutions for precision agriculture. Technologies like precision farming, biotechnology, genetics, and drones are just a few examples that can enhance:

• Sustainability;
• Productivity, and;
• Efficiency.

Drones equipped with advanced Sensors and Imaging Systems allow farmers to monitor:

• Crop health;
• Soil conditions, and;
• Irrigation needs in real time.

Although precision agriculture is a vital part of farming, it remains an advanced and costly technology that works very efficiently & hence is a major obstacle to its wider affordability and adoption in developing countries like India, it is opined.

It is noteworthy in this connection that the Indian government has been actively promoting Drone use in agriculture backed by policies like the National Drone Policy and Drone Rules 2021, with financial aid being offered for drone adoption under the Drone Scheme.

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