E-Agricultural Concepts for Improving Productivity: A Review PDF 2017

DOI: 10.21276/sjet.2017.5.1.3 Scholars Journal of Engineering and Technology (SJET) ISSN 2321-435X (Online) Sch. J. Eng. Tech., 2017; 5(1):11-17 ISSN 2347-9523 (Print) ©Scholars Academic and Scientific Publisher...

DOI: 10.21276/sjet.2017.5.1.3 Scholars Journal of Engineering and Technology (SJET) ISSN 2321-435X (Online) Sch. J. Eng. Tech., 2017; 5(1):11-17 ISSN 2347-9523 (Print) ©Scholars Academic and Scientific Publisher (An International Publisher for Academic and Scientific Resources) www.saspublisher.com Review Article E-Agricultural Concepts for Improving Productivity: A Review Narmilan A Assistant Lecturer, Department of Biosystems Technology, Faculty of Technology, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka *Corresponding author Narmilan A Email: [email protected] Abstract: In the modern context, Information and Communications Technology can be simply defined as a collection of technologies that assist in storing, processing, dissemination and communication of data or information or both. Thus it includes technologies like hardware and software peripherals which are connected to the internet with the intention of fulfilling the function of communication and information processing. On the other hand, Agriculture is playing a major role in the economy of developing countries like Sri Lanka. Therefore the need to uplift the development of Agriculture is very important. E-Agriculture is a one of such concept that is playing an important part in the enhancement of processes involved in Agriculture. The major role of ICT in Agriculture is its potentiality to aid a wide access to information that will support knowledge sharing and decision making. The usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture is growing day by day. Within the recent past, probably within a decade, the attitude of farmers towards the accession of agricultural information has changed due to the rapid emergence of networking and ICT technologies. With this emergency, the use of ICT in Agriculture is also increasing day by day. Modern information technologies have the impact to potentially increase the agricultural productivity by transferring knowledge and information to agricultural practitioners from the rural communities. Application of ICT in Agriculture ranges from the need of each of these stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involve in Agriculture. Based on these principals, the application of emerging trends in ICT may be applied to almost all the processes involved in Agriculture as well as related to it. Thus, it will always be helpful in both the product efficiency and process efficiency by means of reducing the cost and time in the functionalities involved in Agriculture. Keywords: E- Agriculture, Information and Communications Technology, Agricultural Productivity, Smart Farming. INTRODUCTION farmers for a long period. With the emergence of new The widespread use of ICT and its importance technologies and its widespread use, the use of those for innovation and Economic growth has been technologies in Agriculture sector will probably create a recognized widely. Nowadays application and use of positive effect on the growth and development of Information and Communication Technologies in day to Agriculture. There are so many ways to incorporate the day life of the people has become common. As we emerging trends in ICT with Agriculture that will aid on look on from the past, then, only television and radio the enhancement of rural development and Agriculture were the electronic broadcasting technologies that were sector via an efficient information and communication used to reach the rural communities. However, in recent processes. years, there was a rapid emergence of internet and mobile based technologies. As the result an easy and E-Agriculture as an emerging field in the fast mode has emerged to reach the urban as well as intersection of agricultural informatics, agricultural rural communities. development and entrepreneurship, referring to agricultural services, technology dissemination, and In Sri Lanka, so many strategies have been information delivered or enhanced through the Internet developed and being executed with the aim of and related technologies. The e-Agriculture concept, developing the Agriculture sector which is one of the however, moves even beyond technology to the main source of income in the north eastern and some of combination of knowledge and culture which is the north western parts of Sri Lanka. The traditional primarily focusing on the improvement of methods used in Agriculture have been in practiced by communication and the process of learning among the Available online at http://saspublisher.com/sjet/ 11 Narmilan A., Sch. J. Eng. Tech., Jan 2017; 5(1):11-17 different stakeholders of agricultural sector who are third of the population. This has reduced transaction engaging at the different levels. costs, broadened trade networks and facilitated searches The main source of income of the rural communities in for employment. Bertolini observes that the the north eastern Sri Lanka is Agriculture. According to „telephone is the only ICT used (if any) by the majority the sources, out of the ten poorest Divisional of farmers in Africa‟. Some of the respondents in the Secretariats (D.S) divisions identified, nine are from the study considered the cellular phone applications such as eastern province of Sri Lanka and the remaining one the SMS to be one of the most important emerging ICT Syambalnduwa is lying on the border of the eastern applications. province (Source: Census Department Reports, Sri Lanka). Since the main source of income in this area is Community Radio Stations Agriculture, the poverty reduction can only be done by Community radio is one of the important tools improving the productivity. Since these are rural of ICT that offer farmers and the people a voice and communities, people are still following the traditional help development of the community. Community radio ways in their production processes. One of the best is owned and operated by a community or members of a strategies to overcome this challenge may be educating community. Radio is an important mechanism for and introducing the deployment of Information and disseminating knowledge and information in different Communication Technology for the development of languages and formats , especially to poor people agricultural productivity. Hence, there is a need to study. In Zambia, the Radio Farm Forum (RFF), a the nature of the problem. Objectives of this study was government initiative, has shown that radio is important to increase agricultural productivity and decrease the in addressing the common needs and problems of poverty by introducing the new technologies to enhance resource-deficient rural farmers by giving them an Agricultural Processes and to educate rural opportunity to listen to a radio discussion programme communities about the importance of introducing new on agricultural problems and techniques. technologies in their production process. Internet and Web-Based Applications APPLICATION OF ICT TOOLS IN The Internet, e-mail, web sites and web-based AGRICULTURE SECTOR applications are becoming increasingly important in Geographical Information System sharing and in disseminating agricultural information A Geographical Information System (GIS) and there are many ongoing web-based application makes visual comparisons between different types of initiatives in worldwide. The FAO and partners are data possible. It helps to establish relationships implementing e-Agriculture – aimed at the intersection between different data sets and is important in the of agricultural informatics, agricultural development production of maps, and charts and additional and entrepreneurship, focusing on agricultural services, information associated with coordinates and time. It technology dissemination and information delivered helps in the analysis of post-harvest variation in crop through the internet. E-Agriculture is intended to yield measures, and provides a holistic view of the promote the integration of agricultural stakeholders and production system (GIS Development, 2006). GIS is a technology with multimedia, knowledge and culture, computerized data storage and retrieval system, which and aims to improve communication and learning can be used to manage and analyze spatial data relating processes. crop productivity and agronomic factors. It can integrate all types of information and interface with Global Positioning System other decision support tools. GIS can display analyzed The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a information in maps that allow (a) better understanding satellite-based navigation system that can be used to of interactions among yield, fertility, pests, weeds and locate positions anywhere on the earth. GPS provides other factors and (b) decision-making based on such continuous (24 hours/day), real-time, 3- dimensional spatial relationships. positioning, navigation and timing worldwide in any weather condition. More recently farmers have gained Handheld Personal Computer access to site specific technology though GPS. GPS Handheld Personal Computers are small, light, makes use of a series of satellites that identify the and robust and have been used for providing access to location of farm equipment within a meter of an actual information, mobile mapping and other data gathering site in the field. The availability of GPS approaches to activities. farming will allow all field-based variables to be tied together. This tool has proven to be the unifying Mobile (Cellular) Phone Applications connection among field variables such as weeds, crop The cellular phone has provided market links yield, soil moisture and remote sensing data. for farmers and entrepreneurs. Growth in mobile phones has been explosive and now reaches more than a Available online at http://saspublisher.com/sjet/ 12 Narmilan A., Sch. J. Eng. Tech., Jan 2017; 5(1):11-17 ROLE OF ICT IN AGRONOMIC PRACTICES step to generate a recommended plan and an alternative Deloitte, et al., reported that, in plans. identifying the ways in which ICT can help Agriculture, it is useful to view the farming life cycle as a three- Soil Quality Assessment stage process such as; Assessment of soil quality can be done in farm  Pre-cultivation: Including crop selection, land level and also in regional level. In regional level it can selection, calendar definition, access to credit, etc. be done based on soil, climate and land uses. Some  Crop cultivation and harvesting: Including land useful technologies aid to understand nature of soil and preparation and sowing, input management, water its problems due to management practices. ICTs have management and fertilization, pest management, developed several folds in the recent past. Soil quality etc. assessment is being done with some useful  Post-harvest: Including marketing, transportation, technologies, like remote sensing. Remote sensing is a packaging, food processing, etc. process that collects data about an object from a remote location. Crop Variety Selection This sub-system advises the users about the Water Management Technology most suitable variety for his/her plantation based on the Information and Communication Technologies specific circumstances of the farm and the user (ICT) supported Irrigation is demonstrated here as requirements. The domain knowledge of this sub- "application of water to a tree based on monitoring each system contains two models, namely: suggestion, and tree's needs to optimize its yield". ICT monitors each selection. The inference knowledge contains three tree's real time water and nutrient consumption and inference steps namely: specify, select, and count. The needs. The system in turn remotely activates an suggestion model contains a relation between the ongoing, optimized supply of water and nutrients suited environmental conditions and the suitable varieties that to the current climate, soil conditions and the farmer's is used by 'specify' inference step to suggest the paddy production plan. ICT is one of the most effective varieties suitable for the surrounding environments. The means in upgrading of land and water management and selection model contains a relation between user increasing food production. Since the middle of the requirements and the corresponding varieties that is 20th century, automation and ICT are increasingly used by 'select' inference step to select, the most employed in water supply and irrigation management. suitable varieties reflecting the user requirements. The Outstanding contribution to water use efficiency was 'count' inference step just counts the specified varieties achieved mainly in countries that are exposed to strict. water scarcity and benefit of high technology development. Adoption of ICT and automation Land Use Planning and Management enhanced water use efficiency in irrigation by 10% - Among the various ICT tools, Geographic 50%, increased yield per land and water unit by 20% - Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) 100% and improved produce quality. In water techniques represent two key tools for land planning supply plants and networks, ICT and automation and management. GIS offers the opportunity to gather facilitated optimization of pressure regime in delivery multiple layers of information, drawn from different networks, savings of water and energy and the sources, into one spatial representation. This can be invoicing of consumers according to their actual water particularly useful in reaching consensus over land consumption. Conceptually, ICT and automation planning when users have different values and triggered the adoption of volumetric approach in water preferences linked to a given territory. Similarly, RS application. These achievements enabled expansion of techniques are a valuable tool for monitoring land the irrigated area, increased food production and higher resources (e.g. Vegetation, water bodies, etc.), profits for farmers. especially when a single institution is in charge of monitoring a wide area. Land Preparation and Fertilizer Management Planting Land preparation gives specific advises to the Fertilizers, pesticides and quality of yield were user about how to prepare specific land for paddy the major factors of concern in agriculture. Most of the cultivation, while planting gives the suitable planting time the expertise were required to analyze the methods according to user specific inputs data. The problems and which may be time consuming and domain model of this subsystem contains two models costlier issue in developing countries. Image processing namely: establishment plan and assignment. The was one of the tools which can be applied to measure inference knowledge contains three inference steps the parameters related to agronomy with accuracy and namely: establish, assign, and select. The establishment economy. Applications of image processing in plan model contains a relation between farm description agriculture can be broadly classified in two categories: and strategic plans that is used by establish inference Available online at http://saspublisher.com/sjet/ 13 Narmilan A., Sch. J. Eng. Tech., Jan 2017; 5(1):11-17 first one depends upon the imaging techniques and consists of three models namely: 'determining second one based on applications. fertilization requirements', 'fertilization selection', and 'instantiation'. Identification of Nutrient Deficiencies The software has revolutionized the method to Pest and Disease Management find nitrogen content in Maize leaves. Approach was to Latha et al., developed a method by which turn the manual process to a software application using we can detect weed by using image processing. Then image processing. Image of the Maize leaf is captured we gave the input of the weed blocks to the automatic and preprocessed to remove the noise of source image. sprayer which sprays only in these blocks. By doing so The color and texture characters of maize leave are we can reduce the usage of weedicides, thus saving the extracted. Color characteristics analyzed using the RGB environment. Rastogi, et al., presented scenario of and the HSV model. A relationship between extracted image processing and computer vision in agriculture features and nitrogen content was developed. A field as innovative and important problem solving new technique based upon a commercially available techniques since these techniques are more accurate and hand-held scanner which overcomes the problems. quicker than manual methods. For solving agricultural They proposed algorithm to determine chlorophyll image processing problems in efficient and effective content, which non-linearly maps the normalized value way authors of this paper also suggested to use artificial of G, with respect to R and B, using a Logarithmic neural network for agricultural plant leaf disease sigmoid transfer functions. The fertilization system recognition and classification. After disease gives fertilization schedule, which includes fertilizer classification, grading of disease is also done by type, fertilizer quantity, fertilizer name, and application calculating amount of infected area of leaf because of time The domain model of fertilization subsystems disease by using fuzzy logic. Table 1: Pest control Mechanisms in literature using Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) Identification of Authors Analysis of Symptoms Management Pest Pests Real times system that detect No identification Spraying of pesticides Datir, Downy Mildew pest based on mechanism. automatically if disease weather data. probability is Severed. Continuously observe the noise No identification An alarm signal to turn level being collected by the mechanism inform the operator and Srivastav, various sensors and comparator for specifying pest. farmer can then take the that is set to a particular threshold necessary measures to spray level. insecticides. Harvesting and Post-Harvest Technology problems a solution with a robotic arm attached Application of Image processing in Grading hexacopter programmed using HSV color detection Agricultural Products algorithm , Stereo vision with little Computer vision system offers quantitative modification can be employed to fulfil the purpose of method for estimation of morphological parameters and safe and effective mango harvesting. Over the past two quality of agricultural products to obtain quick and decades, yield monitors have been one of the most more accurate results and. Naik and Patel significant developments in harvesting technology. proposed a generalized model for speedy, inexpensive, Manufacturers continue to improve these systems to safe, accurate and automated fruit sorting. They provide yield and moisture measurements to the surveyed list of various features and algorithm‟s operator during harvesting operations as well as accuracy in grading fruits viz. apples, tomatoes, mango, computer software for post-processing. Many producers strawberry, date, cherries, orange, and lemon. utilize using automatic steering systems on harvesters to improve field efficiency. Most systems rely on GPS for Harvest Automation guidance, however, systems have been developed which At the moment, mangoes are mainly hand- sense the stalks at the header to improve automated picked or plucked with a harvester. These methods are steering while harvesting corn. tiresome and involve human capital. Also mangoes can be harvested with mechanical vibrators, but they are ROLE OF ICT IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION power driven, inefficient and cause heavy loss of unripe Farmer participation and buy-in Due to the fruits. During harvesting, the latex trickles down the livestock management activities that farmers are able to fruit surface from the point of detachment imparting a enter, they willingly participate on a daily basis to shabby appearance to it upon storage. To avoid these update the system with: New birth records and animal Available online at http://saspublisher.com/sjet/ 14 Narmilan A., Sch. J. Eng. Tech., Jan 2017; 5(1):11-17 registrations; Regular weight recordings; Regular timeliness and effectiveness of prophylactic and cultural procedure or treatment records; Mating and breeding operations on crops. ICT has a crucial role to play in all records; Pregnancy determination records; Movement links of the chain, from detection to modelling and records within their own herds (mobs / flocks etc.); forecasting to advance warning and localization. Deaths or losses of animals; Early warning mechanism whereby the stock theft department could be notified, ICT TOOLS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND more quickly; Contribute to livestock statistics; RISK MANAGEMENT Contribute to the national statistics of reproduction and In the intersection between climate change and production; Use more functions of the system to Agriculture there are several tools available, because of improve their livestock operations (multi-species); the high number of crops and because of the complexity Grow with the additional functionalities (become more of replicating the same conditions across different self-reliant rather than spoon-fed as with certain regions. Every tool allows analyzing different processes systems); Allows more public–private interactions vs of the agricultural sector, from local crop modelling purely a dominant public sector service. under climate change conditions to the management of economic impacts of climate change on the Agriculture ROLE OF ICT IN AGRO-METEOROLOGICAL sector (soil value variations, demand and supply, KNOWLEDGE AND WEATHER FORECASTING production, etc.), and so on. As many tools exist, it‟s A common problem in developing countries is interesting to focus on their common aspects rather than the lack of integrated means of processing and their specific peculiarities. It imperative to know the delivering agro meteorological information to small extent to which ICTs are contributing to climate change scale farmers. Even with improved agricultural before we can use them as a tool for combating climate technology and improved level of farm inputs the change otherwise we end drawing circles in a desert. agricultural sectors of these countries operate below Concerning this issue, ITU indicates that ICTs are their potential level owing to the challenges imposed by far from innocent in contributing to climate change and the marked weather and climate variability. The the major contribution of ICTs to climate change comes above model shows the flow of information from from the proliferation of user devices, all of which need various sources such as the farmers, the agricultural power and radiate heat. Information and research institutes, meteorological stations and communication technologies play an important role in agricultural extension officers. The knowledge from significantly mitigating climate change and these these sources is brought together in the Knowledge technologies can be used in both developed and Base (KB). This is then processed by the inference developing countries even though developing nations engine with some the algorithms as shown in the lack the much needed information and communication diagram. The system can perform various actions as technology infrastructure when it comes to mitigating shown. Small scale farmers can then interact with the climate change. On some of the solutions that can used system through short message services (SMS). The to mitigate climate change, Ospina and Heeks farmers can also obtain information through mass suggest the use ICTs in controlling carbon dioxide media. emissions through smart grids, dematerialization or intelligent transport systems and buildings. Weather Forecasting The International Center for Agricultural CONSTRAINTS AND ISSUES OF Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) uses weather IMPLEMENTING THE ICT forecasting ICT tools, including meteorological stations The uses of computers in agriculture do have and global information systems (GIS), so that scientists some real constraints such as, the lack of hardware and can collect and elaborate data to address the challenges software infrastructure, training and skills, and research that rural communities in dry areas face from the priorities. However, once these are overcome, the use of climatic stresses of aridity, drought, heat and cold. computers goes past automation and software Weather stations are used to collect daily climatic data application. In fact, it could be instrumental in bridging (for example precipitation, air temperature, and land the digital divide and bringing prosperity to temperature) that are analyzed by researchers to agriculturists not only in the United States, but also in determine timely planting, crop development, climatic other developing and emerging economies around the risk assessment and water-use efficiency practices. world. ICTs in Weather Forecasting Weather plays an important role in agricultural production. It has a Key issues of implementing the ICT in profound influence on the growth, development and agriculture. Specifics comments and insights were yields of a crop, incidence of pests and diseases, water collated under the following groupings: needs and fertilizer requirements in terms of differences 1. People/Community Issues. in nutrient mobilization due to water stresses and 2. Training and Research. Available online at http://saspublisher.com/sjet/ 15 Narmilan A., Sch. J. Eng. Tech., Jan 2017; 5(1):11-17 3. Political Issues. REFERENCES 4. Adoption Barriers and their alleviation 1. EUI. The 2006 e-Readiness Rankings, Economic Intelligence Unit, The Economist, London, 2006, RECOMMENDATIONS http://www.eiu.com, accessed 21/05/07. The recommendations of the adoption of ICT 2. Zahedi SR, Morteza S. Role of Information and enabled Information Systems for Agriculture Communication Technologies in Modern Development is straightforward. Some of those are: Agriculture. International Journal of Agriculture  Focus and consolidate all national and public ICT and Crop Sciences, 2012. Available online at policies, budgets and investments for agriculture www.ijagcs.com. and rural sector. 3. Balaji V, Meera SN, Dixit X. ICT-Enabled  Involve all ICT stake holders in setting of the ICT Knowledge Sharing in Support of Extension: R&D priorities and the measures needed to attain Addressing the Agrarian Challenges of the the successful transfer of these technologies. Developing World Threatened by Climate Change,  Strengthen the “Agriculture ICT” curriculums in with a Case Study of India. SAT eJournal. the formal and informal educational and training 2007;4(1):18. programs. 4. Singh K, Kumar A, Singh R. Role of Information  Focus ICT training for and Communication Technologies in Indian teachers/researchers/extension and farmers on Agriculture: An Overview. SSRN Electronic practical implementations. Journal, 2015.  Link village knowledge centres and agriclinics to 5. FAO. Bridging the Rural Digital Divide. Food and farmer‟s needs. Where possible involve Agriculture Organization. Rome, Italy. 2005;1 unemployed university graduates in this activity. 6. Qaisar M, Ali khan MM, Alam S. Innovative Agricultural Information Services by ICT Projects CONCLUSIONS in India Tajdar. Journal of Trade, Economics and The primary challenge confronted in Finance. 2011;2(4). Agriculture sector is the need for increased production 7. GIS Development. GIS application, 2007. with the increasing population and decreasing natural Available at: resources needed for production. The key factors that http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/Agricul impact on this are the scarcity of water, declining of the ture/overview/agrio0012d.htm. soil fertility level, effects of climate changes and the 8. Guislain P, Qiang CZ, Lanvin B, Minges M, decreasing fertile lands that were utilized in cultivation Swanson E. Overview. In World Bank. Information in the past, due to rapid urbanization. However, this and communications for development: global rapidly growing demand and the need for high quality trends and policies. Washington: World Bank. products provide opportunities for the improvement of 2006;3-14. the livelihood of the rural communities. Therefore the 9. Bertolini R. Strategic thinking: making information Agriculture sector has to be enhanced with the aim of and communication technologies work for food increased productivity that will lead to combat both security in Africa, 2004. rural and urban poverty and foster sustainable