Leading experts highlight encouraging policies, upgradation of educational courses and growing awareness amongst farmers for better adoption of latest technologies
India’s journey toward smart farming is nicely underway, however accelerating its process demand a sturdy ecosystem that combines policy aid, technological improvements, and farmer empowerment. By utilizing the strength of digitalization, precision agriculture, and modern crop protection techniques, India can make sure a certain flexible and sustainable agricultural future.
In this context, the experts spoke on the subject, ‘Digitalization, Precision Agriculture and Cutting Edge Technologies for Crop Protection’ at the third consultation of the second edition of AgroChem Summit 2024 prepared by the Indian Chemical News in New Delhi on December 13, 2024.
The consultation was moderated by Dr Kalyan Goswami, Director General, Agro Chem Federation of India who outlined the demands for using the latest digital technologies and precision agriculture to create the next innovation. “At the time of independence, India had a big challenge of feeding its 43 crore population. To address the situation, underneath the management of Dr MS Swaminathan, the pilot venture was started within the state of Punjab. Dr Norman Borlaug performed a vital role in it and the result changed into a green revolution. There was a time when we used to import agricultural commodities inclusive of wheat paddy and different food items however now we’ve passed record production. From being a food deficient country to becoming a food sufficient country in 1997, we’ve come a protracted way.”
“Currently, the venture is that more than 80% farmers are marginal ones who nevertheless use the usual ways to do the farming. Farmers in Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh are capable of the ultizing the new technologies compared to the farmers at different places. The growth in population and urbanization has led to reduction in land holding. Agriculture is now not profitable for the farmers as they’ve a lot of problems. Therefore, to make farming cost efficient is a massive trouble,” delivered Dr Goswami.
K. S. Thyagarajan, Head – Corporate Affairs, Sustainability, Business Strategy, PI Industries said, “We are at the 39th number out of 144 countries in terms of Global revolution index; 42nd number on patent index. I have visible at a distinguished institute in Chennai how engineering students are operating on agriculture associated engineering and robotics but they’re unaware about patent legal guidelines. Data safety and privacy for revolution is a must to as a few effort is going into it. The encouraging rules around agriculture technologies are missing.
“The syllabus within the agriculture universities isn’t always linked with the ground scenario, lab to land has vanished. Scientists were told to put up extra research documents as opposed to developing the sector related technologies.
“India has 1,27,000 new businesses out of which there are 2,800 new agri businesses as according to the trade ministry. however there are no unicorns within the new agri businesses area. The present ones are struggling with sales generation. They need more support for these new businesses.
“The education level between farmers is awful and there may be a believe lacking about embracing new technologies. About 3 crore farmers are aniticipated to leave the farming in coming times because of lack of earnings. It demands positive guidelines to change that.”
“It is being anticipated that if the adoption of the cutting edge technologies keeps as much as 2030 then about US$ 95000 can be introduced to the Indian economy. In phrases of biologicals, the seaweed is getting used to make the super food. Though GMOs have no longer been authorised here, these are addressing many troubles everywhere in the globe.
“Robotic science is getting used in the laboratory and academic purposes. Artificial intelligence beneath precision agriculture has brought the actual elements of the market to the real life study room. There is a lot of work happening within the submit harvest management with Rs 2 lakh crore worth delicate materials getting destroyed every year.
“The pulls from the crab shells are getting used for the post harvest disease control. Nuclear technology is used in soil health management,” brought Thyagarajan.
Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India stated, “A technology may never be considered a success till it reaches the farmers. In our case when we talk about cutting side technology, accuracy agriculture and drones, until those are not followed, these will now not be considered a hit. This is wherein the extension system plays a super position however lamentably it has collapsed.
“Wherever the drone introduced into other nations, it became utilized for spraying in agriculture but in India it turned into now not allowed for agriculture. The notion of the regulators as well as some individuals of the industry generated a roadblock. For other new technologies too, that is a massive issue as until and till the opposite participants of the industry don’t agree, the government can also formulate rules.”
“We currently brought in foreign experts to talk about the gaining technologies and higher regulatory rules. We do a whole lot of stewardship activities and have commited the stakeholders which includes farmers to construct attention.
“A few instances Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 crore are spent simply to broaden the molecule and that too in 12 years. If a molecule is advanced, it is able to have higher efficacy and low toxicity. If all the contributors agree, it becomes easy for the government to take the decision.
“From the use of 10 kg of lively ingredients per hectare in 1960, we’re utilizing only 10 to 50 grams. In the ultimate 40 years, the quantity of toxicity has also decreased. Now we have the low toxicity molecules due to research over the duration of the remaining 40 years.
“The adoption of digital and modern day technologies has supported as well. Mobile apps for diagnostic applications, and drones are being followed. We have actively followed the layout of policies for using the drones. I agree with not technology may be classified as a succesfuls or unsuccessful except it’s far followed by the farmers,” brought Chandra.
Shashank Chaturvedi, Director-Marketing, HIL Limited stated, “HIL was established in 1954 with the aims of generating DDT to get rid of malaria from the country. The enterprise later varied into agrochemicals and began generating technical. As of today we’ve 6 technical plants with us, mainly placed in Rasayani in Maharashtra. There are three units, 1st in Kochi, 2nd is formulations plant in Bhatinda and 3rd in Rasayani.
“In 2022, we alleged the restructuring of the enterprise and the administration has accepted it. We have close down our two units and shifted the material to Rasayani. After agrochemicals, we’ve tied up with Unido to increase the opportunity to DDT. The venture began in 2010 and we advanced three products. First is LLNI, second is VCRC Bti bio-larvicide technology which aims to larvae of the mosquito and 0.33 is a neem primarily based product.
“We have already used LLIN that’s an insecticidal net. While the concept changed into to dip the net into pesticide and use it for six months. Later the technology came wherein pesticide turned into impregnated in the thread itself. We took this technology from CPET and made the master batches. The downstream vendors are making threads and we’re making the mosquito nets.
“With a life cycle of 3 year, these nets kill the mosquitoes simply by means of touch. We have partnered on a FARM ventures of the United Nations in which their are evolving the bio products together with Leucoderma and Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) based biopesticide technology.”
AgroChem Summit 2024 themed ‘Capturing Value Through Collaboration, Innovation & Disruption’ was helped by the way of the industry associations which include ACFI, BASAI, Croplife India, CCFI and PMFAI. The Gold Partners of the event had been Corteva Agriscience and Godrej Agrovet. The Associate Partner changed into Bayer Limited.
