Respected Dr. Rao Sir,

Please have a look at this link and PDF attachments.

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/dr-anil-k-rajvanshi/precision-agriculture-could-start-a-green-revolution-in-india/

Kind Regards

I think, that small farmers may apply precision agriculture better, than great, industrial farmers. Great farmers use machinery with working width of about 30 and more meters, while precision applications of fertilizers, amendments and pesticides may require resolution of about 5-10 meters or even less. Certainly it is possible to construct machines with both great working width and small resolution of application, but they will be even more expensive.

Moreover, I am convinced, that some small farmers actually apply precision agriculture in their own way.

On the other hand, I think, that precision agriculture may not increase productivity, if proper technologies are applied. However, it may increase inputs by avoiding of overfertilization of low producing areas, i.e. lowering costs.

I would propose the following ways of implementation of precision agriculture:

1) Simple methods of assessment of soil crop-limiting factors by examination of soil in different areas to a depth of about 1-1,5m. I refer mainly to soil texture, colour (especially with the aim of assessment of air water conditions) and other;

2) Simple methods of preparation of detailed soil maps (resolution of 5-10m) without very expensive GPS equipment or with state support in this aspect. It is possible to establish reference, characteristic points on many fields necessary to make such maps. Such maps should indicate areas with different kinds of soil crop-limiting factors (especially areas susceptible to waterlogging, areas too dry, also the areas limited by acidity, low nutrients level etc);

3) Elaboration or modification of equipment/machinery for fertilization, pesticide application and irrigation used by small farmers in the way permitting quick and simple change of applied dose;

4) Elaboration of methods of translation of freely or low-cost accessible satellite data (LANDSAT, SENTINEL, in the near future microsatellites, with resolution of about 2-5m) into the information useful for farmers. Such data might be also helpful in preparation of detailed soil maps;

5) And actually, above all - education and knowledge, which is important not only for developing countries, but every where.

Dear Dr. Rao,

Thanks for bringing this important issue for discussion. At many meetings, seminars and symposia, virtues of precision agriculture like site-specific nutrient management have been highlighted in recent time. Every quarter of our society including the policy makers are convinced of the need for implementing pecision farming like SSNM programme in our country. But the programme will not be successful and we wont be able to benefit from it, unless we introduce/ implement it  in the fields of small and marginal farmers of our country.

In my opinion, for implementing precision farming like SSNM in small and marginal farmers fields we need to; (1) make the technology like soil testing facility available to the farmers doorstep. In this context, promotion of easy-to-use and cheap apparatus like SPAD meter, portable soil testing kits, etc among the farmers will be very helpful. (2)  organize training of the farmers groups in precision farming technologies like SSNM techniques, (3) total involvement and commitment of the KVKs to implement this programme in their district/ areas, (4) ensure easy and timely availability of necessary inputs/implements and credit facility to the farmers, and (5) supervision/ monitoring of the programme by an apex body/committee of experts.

I thought these are some of the prerequisites for promotion and successful implementation of the precision farming technologies among the small farmers of our country.

Dear Rao,

It is a good and timely question. In addition to answers by scientist above, I suggest to organize farmers with adjacent farming land together so that they can use precision agriculture technologies in common. This will also help them to decrease the costs of buying precision agriculture technologies and also training costs. Moreover, I suggest for more research to make precision agriculture best fit to smallholder farming situation.

Dear Scientists,

Actually this is a timely question and discussion. In addition to the answers given above, important considerations and what matter for adoption of precision agriculture are the level of education of the individual farmer, the availability of the technologies, the purchasing power of the farmer, the extension system of the country are important factors. As far as all the above conditions are more or less enabling,  precision agriculture can be easily and smoothly adopted by the small holder farmers of any country.

Dr. Rao, Precision Agriculture is nothing but information and technology based farm management system to identify, analyze and manage variability within fields for optimum profitability, sustainability and protection of the land resource. Therefore, if you can dissciminate the technologies, it would be easier to control the smaller and marginal farms rather than the bigger farms. So, more emphasis should be given to transfer the technologies for that we need to strengthen our extention wing as well as media should take more initiative.

Precision farming is generally understood as using sophisticated farm equipment and technologies for precision application of inputs especially seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. In other words, it is a fine-tuning of crop management with the helps of precision tools and machinery.

However, in the contest of the subsistence farmers of the developing countries where access to precision technology is limited or none and mechanization is limited, large scale adaptation of the precision-farming at the current situation is a real challenge! Nevertheless, there are opportunities to apply such techniques in the developing countries in areas such as (1) water or irrigation application, (ii) need-based nitrogen/fertilizers application with the help of SPAD or similar  simple and in-expensive tools, (iii) targeted pesticide-application, (iv) fruits and vegetable harvest, (v) cultivation in green-house, hydroponics and other controlled environment conditions and so on. Of course, proper training to farmers and extension workers and availability of required inputs and supply of power should be guaranteed. 

Respected Dr. Rao Sir,

Thanks for the opportunity to learn more on this important issue. The observations and suggestions by the experts are very very useful, and could be implemented. As had been emphasized by Dr Kundu sir and others, the capacity building of the farming community alone may contribute immensely. The community is already practicing it in many ways - like making plots according to elevation and/or water holding/transmission ability, shifting to better performed variety etc etc. Maintaining optimum plant density itself may lead to better precision in terms of nutrient use efficiency. Similarly, proper levelling of the land, simple low cost implement enabling low seed rate etc are expected to be adopted. Likewise, as suggested, use of simple and readily available tools (testing kit, SPAD meter) may help in time and dose of fertilizer. Another simple tool may be tensiometer calibrated to specific crop improving precision in water use efficiency (it was seen in use for wheat crop in Punjab, with the gauge coloured in green, yellow and red signifying different critical soil moisture status). Obviously, the scope is in general more in irrigated than rainfed condition. Waiting for more useful suggestions from learned experts.

Dear colleagues,very good responses to my question.I thank Drs.Arvind Singh,Stepien,Kundu,Haile,Tadesse,Tarfdar,Subedi and Borah for interesting information and suggestions.As expected Dr.Arvind Singh attached good references on the subject especially from developing countries where they discussed on how to practice precision agriculture on small holdings with limited resources.The five points mentioned by Dr.Stepien will show the way on how to practice precision agriculture on small holdings by apprpiate development of the new technologies or by bringinout  modified versions(of smaller size).As I understand the precision agriculture was originally conceived for bigger fields for variability assessment and differential management of blocks with in big fields according to extent of variability.Small farmers fields are  already smaller units with less variabilty.So what we need is good and precise management of those units while applying inputs of fertilizer,water etc.Also, precise application of pesticides for controllings insect pests,diseases and weeds.As metioned by learned colleagues lot tecnologies adoptable under small farmer's  situations are aready available or being developed.What we probaly need is proper awareness creation and adoption of aleady available technologies.However ,we should not waste resources for research with heavy mechinery and imported technologies intended for large holdings,rather development of indigenous technologies is desired.

Implement precision agriculture implies at least consider three stages: collection of data intensive level variables soil, crop and microclimate; the processing of such information and finally, applying appropriate in each work of the agricultural production process responses. In the field of small farmers, a starting point is capacity building and access to technology and information in real time. In this process, mechanisms such as innovation networks could be a key for farmers to learn, investigate, suggest, share and use related to precision agriculture knowledge aspect.

Land consolidation with the help of dealers of pesticide & other agriculture inputs could be done especially in progressive farming areas of India. Subsidy could be provided by GOI, if the farmer do so.

 I agree with the view of Dr.Platero.Precision agriculture is knowledge intensive and requires special tools and techniques.

Compliments Dr. Rao for relevant question. For many years, precision agriculture was widely seen as irrelevant to small-scale farmers in developing countries. How much variability can there be on a two hectare plot? And how could poor farmers afford the technology? But there's a growing body of research now to support the idea that small-scale farmers can benefit from precision agriculture. One of the reasons for this is greater awareness of how much variability can exist in even the tiniest plot of land.

Please see following article:

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/jun/04/subsistence-farming-precision-agriculture

Dear Dr.Malhotra,thank you for the information.

Dear Dr.Malhotra,the last sentence of your reply is very imporatant.But the so -called precision practices advocated to small farmers'  fields do not  meet the requirement of spatial variability measurement and  management.

Before going to precision agriculture technology which very costly` and requires very high technical skill, farmers in developing countries should go conventional agricultural technologies if fully implemented can meaningfully transform agriculture in their own setting.