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AGRICULTURE 4.0: FUTURE OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE

 Overview of Agriculture in India

Agriculture plays a significant role in India’s growing economy. With around 54.6% of the
total workforce involved in agriculture and allied sector activities, the sector contributes to
17.8% of the country’s gross value added (GVA). During 2021-22, the country recorded
US$ 50.2 billion in total agriculture exports with a 20% increase from US$ 41.3 billion in
2020-21. It is projected that the Indian agriculture sector will grow by 3.5% in FY23.

With the use of conventional farming methods, there’s comparatively less improvement in
efficiency and agricultural yields which resulted in lower productivity. Due to this concern, the
government initiated the fourth wave of revolution in the agricultural sector to introduce
technological advancement in these activities to improve yields and promote the involvement
of the population in this sector.

Agriculture 4.0 is a considerably advanced version of precision farming methods. It has the
potential to transform the existing methods of farming. Precision farming focuses on a
comprehensive approach towards maintaining the field and soil well-being with a focus on
improving the quality and quantity of yield with minimum environmental harm. The idea of
revolution in agriculture involves the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial
intelligence, and robotics to accelerate and improve the efficiency of activities throughout the
entire production chain. It has the potential to transform the conventional farming industry.
Conventional farming practices control crop watering and spraying pesticides or fertilisers
uniformly across the field. Instead, the farmers will need to be more targeted and data-driven
in the context of farming. Future farms will be more productive owing to the employment of
robotics, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial photos, and GPS technology. These
cutting-edge methods will improve farm profitability, efficiency, safety, and environmental
friendliness. They are together referred to as advanced or high-tech precision farming.

Around one-third of food produced for consumption which is worth over US$ 1 trillion is lost
or wasted in transit. This leads to millions of people sleeping hungry every night. The UN
World Food Programme reports state that the primary cause of rising hunger around the globe
is food wastage or loss due to uneven handling of food.

The concern about food wastage gave rise to the involvement of technology in agriculture to
improve productivity and reduce wastage by proper handling of food. The data analytics and
AI will help farmers to monitor the activities of seeds to the final crop. This will result in better
yield and as a result, people will be involved in agriculture and eventually, the nation will target
the least hunger issues. These challenges led to the introduction of Agriculture 4.0 wherein
farmers won’t be dependent on water facilities, fertilizers, and pesticides uniformly across
entire fields. Instead, farmers will be suggested to use minimum quantities and target specific
areas for different crops to get better productivity.

Prospects of Indian Agriculture

The continuous technological innovation in the Indian agriculture sector plays a critical role
in the growth and development of the Indian agriculture system. It will be crucial for
ensuring agricultural production, generating employment, and reducing poverty to promoting
equitable and sustainable growth. Constraints include diminishing and degraded land and
water resources, drought, flooding, and global warming generating unpredictable weather
patterns that present a significant barrier for India's agriculture to grow sustainably and
profitably. The future of agriculture seems to involve much-developed technologies like
robotics, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS technology. Farms will
be able to be more productive, efficient, safe, and environmentally sustainable owing to this
cutting-edge equipment, robotic systems, and precision agriculture.

Various factors such as data analysis matrix and technological advancement in the existing
agricultural machinery contribute to the production of food grains for consumption and
commercial needs. The production of commercial food grain support the economy and
improves the GDP.

Hence, the future growth of Indian agriculture appears to be growing with an upward graph
which is backed by technological advancements and government initiatives.

Recent Trends in Agriculture

India’s agriculture mainly depends on nature, however changing climate and global warming
are making farming unpredictable. The need to use modern technologies to increase
productivity and profitability led to the emergence of Agriculture 4.0 in India. There have
been significant changes in India in the context of agriculture over the decades and many
new technologies have been developed. Several new-age farmers are using soil mapping
software as well to determine the optimum level of fertilizers used in the farms. These
emerging technologies in farming and agriculture pave the way for more opportunities. The
aggrotech start-ups and traditional farmers are also using the latest solutions and trends to
improve production in the food value chain. It includes the adoption of new technologies
 such as cloud-based solutions and other relevant advanced agricultural management
techniques to increase farmer efficiency and produce more crops.

Examples:
 Grape farmers in India who have begun spotting and geo-locating crop diseases or pestilence,
allowing them to control infestations earlier and in a more precise manner. This also leads to lower
use of harmful pesticides on the crop. Soil mapping software is used by several new farmers to
determine the optimum level of fertiliser use in their farms. They are also using drones which allow
spraying pesticides in a more targeted manner.

 Sugarcane farmers in India have started using technology to gauge the most appropriate time to
harvest their crops, which allows them to better plan their harvest and maximise output. Several
Indian farmers have also begun to use AI/ML-powered technologies to forecast crop yield, weather
conditions and price trends in mandis. A few farmers have also begun testing self-driving tractors
and seed-planting robots to free their farms from the vagaries of labour shortages.

Emerging trends in the agricultural sector that are quite prominent in the post-liberalization
era include increased production, increased investment, diversification of the sector, use of
modern techniques, development of horticulture and floriculture, increasing volume of exports
and development of the food processing industry.

Some of the recent trends in agricultural technology:

 Agricultural Drone Technology-

Drones are used widely for medical delivery to protection assistance and are used in
agriculture to improve the growth of crops, maintenance, and cultivation methods. For
example, these ariel carriers are used to access crop conditions and execute better
fertilization strategies for more yields. Even the accessibility of hovering robots help farmers
through a survey of large areas and data collection to generate better insights about their
farms. Using drones in agriculture has provided more frequent, cost-effective remote
monitoring of crops and livestock. It also helps analyse field conditions and determine
appropriate interventions such as fertilizers, nutrients, and pesticides.

 Diversification of Agriculture-

The agricultural sector produces generic consumption needs as well as crops like fruits,
vegetables, spices, cashews, areca nuts, coconuts, and floral products such as flowers,
orchids, etc. With the increasing demand for these products, there’s a huge potential in terms
of production and trade of these products. This shows how the agricultural sector is being
transformed into a dynamic and commercial sector by shifting the mix of traditional agricultural
products towards higher quality products, with a high potential to accelerate production rates.

The diversification in agriculture is being supported by changes in technology or consumer

demand, trade or government policy, transportation, irrigation, and other infrastructure
developments.

 Increasing Trend in Horticulture Production-

 The availability of diverse physiographic, climatic, and soil characteristics enables India to
grow various horticulture crops. It includes fruits, vegetables, spices, cashew, coconut, cocoa,
areca etc. The total horticulture production in FY22 is estimated at 342.333 million tonnes
which is an increase of about 7.03 million tonnes (2.10% increase) from 2020-21.

 Development of Agriculture in Backward Areas-

In the post-green revolution era, the introduction of new agricultural strategies, research, and
technology was mostly limited to producing specific food grains, i.e., wheat and rice. However,
under the wave of liberalization, with the growing demand for agricultural exports, many new
sectors of agricultural activities have become favourable and profitable.

In some agriculturally backward areas with no irrigation system and access to fewer
resources, dryland farming has been introduced. Other activities were also encouraged such
as horticulture, floriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, etc. To support the development in
those areas, various modern techniques have been installed in the backward areas.

 Ariel Imaging-

Ariel imaging involves the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology to analyse
the potential of irrigation projects and their impact on land degradation, erosion, and drainage.
The visuals of this technology allow assessment of an individual plant’s foliage. These visuals
are actively used to detect pests and diseases to protect crops from environmental threats. It
mostly helps farmers to monitor the soil conditions of farms and is useful in the summer
season when there is the least availability of water.

 Hydroponics and Vertical Farming

The concept of hydroponics farming focus towards better yields, texture, and taste of the final
product with less water consumption. Plants which are grown hydroponically do not need
extensive root systems and it allows them to contribute more energy towards the production
of leaves and fruits. Because of indoor cultivation, these plants mature quickly and possess
better immunity against pests and other diseases. In the context of sustainability, vertical
farming allows farms to be located near or within areas of high population density which
reduces the need for transportation and any harmful emissions. Vertical farming provides the
ability to grow crops in urban environments and contributes to the availability of fresh foods
conveniently. This farming significantly reduces the amount of land space required to grow
crops compared to conventional farming methods.

 IoT in Agriculture- IoT supports agriculture through the installation of various sensors in agricultural
farms. These sensors are used to monitor light, humidity, soil moisture, temperature, crop health,
etc. Some of the major uses of IoT in agriculture are as follows:
o Various farm sensors such as autonomous vehicles, wearables, button cameras, robotics, control
systems, etc help in the collection of data to analyse the performance of the farm.

o Use of aerial and ground-based drones for crop health assessment, irrigation, monitoring and field
analysis.

o Use of tools to predict rainfall, temperature, soil, humidity, and other forecasted natural calamities.
 Government Initiatives
The government has taken various initiatives to enable the potential digitalization of the
agricultural sector in India. It focuses on promoting Agri-tech businesses which are working
towards boosting productivity.

 The government has finalised an India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA) framework that will
establish the architecture for the federated database of farmers. This database is being built by
taking the publicly available data as existing in various schemes and linking them with the digitalized
land records. The IDEA would serve as a foundation to build innovative Agri-focused solutions
leveraging emerging technologies to contribute effectively to creating a better Ecosystem for
Agriculture in India. This Ecosystem shall help the Government in effective planning towards
increasing the income of farmers and improving the efficiency of the agriculture sector.

 To facilitate agricultural engineering research, operations, and technology diffusion, the Central
Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal (ICAR-CIAE) of the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) has created the Krishi Yantra App. A web portal has been made available by
ICAR-CIAE on their website to guarantee that businesses choose the proper mechanisation
technology. This aids current and potential business owners in choosing machines and purchasing
options. The portal also offers the option of user and specialist engagement.

 Farm Safety app was developed by ICAR-CIAE which provides information about safety guidelines
and Safety Gadgets to avoid accidents while using different types of agricultural machinery.

 A smartphone app called Water Balance Simulation Model for Roof Water Harvesting assists
decision-makers in recommending design criteria. It provides that where the implementation of a roof
water harvesting system may result in water savings and water security.

Conclusion
Agriculture is an important sector of the country. It is one of the market-driven industries that
employ a large segment of the country’s population. The new changes over the last few years
have been enormously helpful to contribute more towards economic growth. Recent
advancements such as drones, and data-driven facilities help to monitor the process of
farming. It has been supporting farmers to increase productivity and contribute more towards
the agricultural economy.

The future of Indian agriculture seems bright and promising with the advent of new
technologies. The government has increased its focus on the sector, implementing various
policies and initiatives to boost productivity and growth. India’s vast and diverse agricultural
landscape, coupled with advancements in technology, provides immense opportunities for
farmers to harness their potential and increase yield. In addition, start-ups in the agricultural
sector are working towards providing innovative solutions to farmers in terms of supporting
them with better productivity, measuring tools and other data-driven strategies.