| | November 20198HOW AGRITECH IS HELPING FARMERS GROW HEALTHIER CROPSechnology is changing the world, and farming is fast catching up. Agriculture is in the grip of a revolution. Today, farmers have access to digital information about weather, soil conditions and crop health to help improve their yields as well as the nutritional value and health of their crops. A digital farm is more efficient and sustainable, with the capacity to grow healthier crops, much more than its earlier counterparts. Growing healthier crops ultimately boils down to three major factors ­ ensuring soil health, optimising the use of inputs like pesticide and fertilisers, knowledge of the right crop for each soil type and climatic zone, and appropriate management of pests and diseases. So how does digital technology support each of these functions? While the term farmer is generically used in this article, it can also apply to an agri-business or any other farmer-aggregating entity. Healthy soilsHealthy soils form the foundation of our food source. These soils are the basis for agriculture and the medium in which all food-producing plants grow. A healthy soil is a living, dynamic ecosystem that performs many vital functions, including nutrient recycling. Digital technology can help in retaining or improving soil health with the use of advanced data analytics to nurture soil health as well as the health of crops. Soil types can vary from highly acidic to highly alkaline. For farmers, achieving the right balance between the various elements ­ nutrients, cost of inputs and minimizing environmental impact is a necessary task, but difficult. Digital technologies using drones and smart irrigation simplify the process of visualizing, understanding and improving fertility. The added environmental benefits are carbon sequestration and reduced erosion. Optimising the use of inputsDigital technology helps understand how every kind of input impacts the plant in terms of nutritional value and provides data that will help the farm to yield crops with higher nutritional value. Using such data-driven technologies, farm management solutions help farmers make informed decisions in terms of producing high yields with low inputs. More targeted application means lower pesticide quantities. Data-driven agriculture also helps agri-researchers store information in their databases about the efficacy of the crop protection agents ­ for example, at which stage of growth certain herbicides are most effective in controlling weeds. When combined with field data, this information can be used to apply pesticides IN MY OPINIONBy Dr. Venkat Maroju, CEO at SourceTraceTDr. Venkat Maroju, CEO
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