Integrating Drone Technology in Agricultural Practices: Evidence from Tamil Nadu’s Farmer Producer Organizations | Chapter 3 | Food Science and Agriculture: Research Highlights Vol. 1

The advent of drone technology has revolutionized various industries, with agriculture being one of the most significantly impacted sectors. The integration of drones into agricultural practices contributes to environmental sustainability by promoting more efficient use of resources. Indian agriculture makes a substantial contribution to the nation's GDP, employment, and food security. It directly employs over half of the country's workforce, supporting the livelihoods of rural communities. Historically, Indian agriculture has been labour-intensive and reliant on traditional practices, resulting in inefficient resource utilization. To address the numerous challenges facing the Indian agriculture sector, the adoption of emerging technologies, such as drones, is imperative. Drones have the capacity to significantly enhance agricultural practices, increasing productivity and reducing resource wastage. This study explores the economic dynamics of drone technology in agriculture, addressing a gap in past research amid the growing use of Artificial Intelligence in the sector. This study integrated the Partial budgeting approach as it allows for assessing the impact of a change in the production system on a farmer’s net income without knowing all costs of production. This study was conducted in two districts of Tamil Nadu using a multistage sampling technique to collect the data. Conducted in the paddy cultivation regions of Thanjavur and Madurai districts in Tamil Nadu, the study involves a sample of 80 for UAV technology and 120 for conventional methods. The findings reveal significant cost savings and higher profitability with drone-assisted farming, where total expenses decrease from ₹27,723.20 for conventional farming to ₹22,857.50 for drones, primarily due to reduced pesticide and herbicide use and improved application efficiency. While both methods yield similar gross returns of ₹39,100 for conventional and ₹40,640 for drone-assisted—the net returns are markedly higher for drones at ₹17,782.50 versus ₹11,376.80 for conventional practices. A per-acre comparison shows substantial reductions in labor costs, with human labor decreasing from ₹11,077 to ₹5,628 and pesticide costs falling from ₹2,032 to ₹950. Although machine labor costs rise slightly with UAVs, overall savings enhance the financial viability of drone-assisted farming. The partial budget analysis indicates a net profit increase of ₹7,331, underscoring the economic advantages of adopting drone technology in agriculture. Finally, it is concluded that the integration of drone technology into Indian agriculture, particularly in paddy cultivation in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur and Madurai districts, signifies a transformative shift towards more efficient and profitable farming practices.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Malaisamy A
Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu-625104, India and International Livestock Research Institute, India.

Yazhini A
Department of Agricultural Economics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu-641003, India.

 

Raswanthkrishna M
Department of Computer Science and Engineering (AI), Amrita University, Coimbatore- 641 112, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/fsarh/v1/4322

Determining the Importance of Liquid Biofertilizers in Rice Cultivation under Organic Farming | Chapter 10 | Current Topics in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 4

 Rice (Oryza sativa) is an important staple grain crop on the Asian continent. Rice production capacity has expanded as a result of daily developments in science and technology, which are helping to feed the world's fast growing population. On the other hand, due to rising customer demand for traditional rice cultivars, farmers are increasingly transitioning to organic cultivation combined with traditional rice. Over the years, rice growers' indiscriminate application of artificial fertilisers has posed a threat to organic farmers. As a result, it's critical to look into the most efficient organic nutrient sources for maintaining soil fertility and rice yield. With this in mind, during Rabi 2020, a Front Line Demonstration (FLD) was held in ten locations across Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli district to popularise TNAU liquid biofertilizers such as Azospirillum, Phosphate solubilizing bacteria, K Solubilizer, Zn Solubilizers, and PPFM in two different traditional rice growing ecosystems. In both the traditional rice cultivars, Karuppu kavuni (5100 kg/ha) and Mapillai samba (5350 kg/ha), treatment of liquid biofertilizer resulted in more productive tillers (13.7 & 14.9 numbers), greater grain production (9.9 & 12.6 percent), and straw yield (10.5 & 10.2 percent). Similarly, using the recommended biofertilizer resulted in a quantum rise in net return. The study found that employing the suggested liquid biofertilizers, Karuppu kavuni and Mapillai samba yielded Rs.157350/ha and Rs.63100/ha, respectively, with a benefit cost ratio of 3.8 and 2.2. By transforming nutrients from non-accessible to available forms, the use of liquid biofertilizer improved the availability of soil nutrients. Finally, it can be stated that the use of prescribed liquid bio-fertilizers is critical for getting higher potential yields and economic returns from traditional rice cultivars. Furthermore, encouraging traditional rice growers to use biofertilizers could lead to improved nutritional security for the rural population.

Author(S) Details

V. Dhanushkodi
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sirugamani-639 115, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

G. Anand
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sirugamani-639 115, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

V. Alex Albert
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sirugamani-639 115, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

S. Nithila
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sirugamani-639 115, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

N. Tamilselvan
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sirugamani-639 115, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

View Book:- https://stm.bookpi.org/CTAS-V4/article/view/5141

The Analysis of Temperature and Rainfall and Production Potential Food Crops in Banten Province, Indonesia | Chapter 6 | Emerging Challenges in Agriculture and Food Science Vol. 2

 Paddy, maize, soybeans, peanuts, green beans, cassava, and sweet potatoes are among the food crops grown in Indonesia's Banten Province. Temperature and rainfall are thought to be intimately related to the production of these food crops. The goal of the study was to learn about the temperature and rainfall patterns, as well as the possibilities for growing food crops. The researcher employed the Gumbel method to project temperature and rainfall in order to attain this goal. The findings of the investigation suggest that the temperature rises by 0.13oC per year, with 39.14 mm of rainfall. Banten Province still has potential for paddy, maize, and cassava production based on projected temperature and rainfall increases over the next 25 years. When it comes to the area and productivity of each of these types of plants, Lebak Regency has the most potential for paddy production, while Pandeglang Regency has the most potential for maize development.

Author(S) Details

Yayat Ruhiat
Department of Physics, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, Serang, Indonesia.

View Book:- https://stm.bookpi.org/ECAFS-V2/article/view/4903