K. Sandhya Rani
Asst. Director of Agriculture
WALAMTARI
 Precision farming is a farming system which
adopts location specific, field specific and crop
specific approach
 Input application is precisely monitored i.e., in
measured form to match the varying growth
stage of each crop in the field
It takes adequate care of technology
upgradation and marketing support
 Non- availability of labourers.
 Increased cost of cultivation .
 Inadequate
irrigation
water
or
availability of water in deeper soil layers
 Indebtedness of farm families.
 Insufficiency of
existing extension
tools.
 Precision farming project was a turnkey project
implemented by the Government of Tamilnadu
at Dharmapuri
and krishnagiri districts
covering 400 ha of land with budget of Rs. 7.20
crores for a period of three years (2004- 05 to
2006-07).
 The out come was obtaining an all India record
production in eight crops and 60 % increase in
yield and 90% marketable quality in respect of 23
crops
Subsidies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Rs. 40,000 per ha towards installation of drip system for
annuals [Rs. 28,800 from MIS and Rs. 11,200 under NADP].
Rs. 15,000 per ha towards supply of water soluble fertilizers
in kind.
Rs.5000 per ha towards plant protection chemicals in kind
Rs. 5000 ha towards seeds and plants [The cultivation
expenses for annuals has been worked out as Rs. 50,000 per
ha and Rs. 25,000 inputs have been supplied as subsidy. The
balance 50% money shall be spent by the farmers].
Two days hands on training programme for the beneficiary
farmers
Community shade net nursery @ one unit[300 sm] for every
twenty farmers in a cluster.
I. Use of chisel plough
 Usage of chisel plough loosens the soil to
depth of two feet
 It insures better aeration and drainage and
helps in better root growth
 It facilitates availability of micro nutrients
in a better way
II. Community shade net nursery
 Protrays having 98 pits are used.
 50% shade net on top and insect proof
net on sides.
Pits are filled with cocopeat and
vernicompost.
 Seedling are transplanted along with growth media.
100 % population and 100% productive plants are
produced.
 Physically and physiologically uniform
seedlings are produced
 Beds and channels are used for
planting
Beds are one feet high and four
feet wide
Channels are one feet deep form
the ground
Two rows of crops are grown on
each bed at distance of three feet
 Tubes of finger thickness are used.
 Water is controlled so that, based on water
requirement irrigation is done upto
maximum of one hour per day.
Reduced water usage is one major reason
for the success of precision farming
especially in water scarcity areas.
Ensures 100% effective utilization of
available water

Water soluble fertilizers are used.
 The required chemical at required time in
the root zone is the speciality of the system .
 As a result weeds are reduced to a large
extent .
 Fertilizers applied to one acre of field by
traditional method can be applied to three
acres by this method.
 Remote sensing technique is used to
assess soil and water fertility status in
field.
 The N, P, K status of the soil is obtained
precisely and soil fertility status is
maintained .
 Uniform soil fertility throughout the
field.

Scientists from TNAU are closely
associated with farmers to educate and guide
them.
 Crop rotations are done exclusively under
their guidance.
 Crops of different families are rotated for
better soil and water management in the
field.

Usage of bio- fertilizers and bio-pesticides
instead of chemical inputs for control of
pests and diseases leads to increased yields.




Scientists from TNAU accompany the farmers to
the markets of Coimbatore, Cochin and Safal
markets and help the farmer in assessment of
demand to their produce.
Hence production is based on demand .
They are taught about careful handling, grading and
packing of their produce to minimize the role of
middlemen.
MNC like Reliance and Trinetra are invited for
discussions
regarding the marketing of precision
farming produce
X. Providing Non Toxic Food to
Consumers
By means of little or nil usage of chemical
inputs, the farmers adopting Precision
Farming are providing non- toxic food to
consumers.
XI. Farmers Association:
Associations
with 20 or more farmers are
formed for their mutual benefits.
In course of time, farmers have understood
that they can perform better and their
individual problems can be solved in a better
way.
Clearing doubts and fixing the price.
Government has also recognized certain
Associations.
Benefits of Precision farming
1. It not only boosts the production but also the
morale of the farmers.
2. Fruits and vegetables have increased uniform
size, high quality and extended shelf life.
3. The crops have increased duration to tackle the
demand and supply position.
4. The inputs are available to the farmers at the
manufacturers price instead of dealers Price as
a result of meetings of the manufacturers with
scientists & farmers.
5. Absence of middlemen
6. Cost of labour is minimized due to
fertigation.
Drip
7. Market knowledge to the farmers .
8. Microbial status of the soil is enriched.
9. The income from growing a few crops in earlier
days is now obtained by growing a single crop.
Examples
Tomoto :
Var: P K M
Duration
Yield
Traditional Farming
40 to 50 days
6 to 7 tons / Ha
Precision Farming
5 to 6 months
39 tons/ H
Var: syngenta variety 80 tons / Ha
Capsicum:
Var: East West Company : Yield of 23 tons / Ha
1701
25 tons / Ha
Watermelon :
Fruit size
: 3.5 to 4 Kgs
Yield
: 15 to 16 tons / Ha
Net profit : Rs. 1.75 lakhs / Ha
Rose Mary :
Rs.31,878 in three years from half acre
Rs. 17,500 from 3.5 acres of ragi and beans.
Mango:
Biennial Crop but through precision farming the trees
can made to bear fruits every year.
S.NO
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
CROP
Tomato
Chilli
Brinjal
Ladies finger
Tapioca
Turmeric
Sugarcane
Cotton
Watermelon
AshGourd
Onion
Banana
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Pumpkin
Bittergourd
Ribbedgourd
Bottlegourd
Cucumber
Beans
Beetroot
Rose
Marigold
Chrysanthemum
YIELD
National average
TONNES/HA
Precision yield
INCREASE %
17.35
12.02
10.46
6.28
25.52
4.95
80-100
15-20(Quintal)
12.71
21.95
11.32
28.58
14.38
14.22
11.91
6.23
15.85
12.21
6.48
5.8
16.75
10lk stems
10
8-15
150
35
156
16
52
9
250
30(Quintal)
60
40
21
110
120
33
50
15
34
66
20
12
35
25lk stems
25
25
764.55
191.18
1334.03
154.78
103.76
81.81
177.77
111.43
372.06
82.23
85.51
284.88
734.49
132.06
319.81
140.77
114.51
440.54
208.64
106.89
108.95
150.00
150.00
117.39
Banana
Uniform size of Banana
Uniform size of Banana
Brinjal
Mrs. Puttiyamma, tribal lady farmer of Bargur hills in
Erode district of Tamil Nadu in her Rosemary field.
Drumstick production
Tomato Graded fruits
Brinjal Minimal flower drop and no fruit drop
Brinjal Ready for packing
Chillies- 90% plus first grade on sorting
Paprika ready for harvest
First grade fruits
Cabbage Uniform heads
Muskmelon Packing in cardboard boxes
Bitter Gourd Under pandal system
Bottle Gourd Tender Fruits
Harvested Ribbed Gourd
Cucumber Harvesting of tender fruits
Dwarf hybrid
Aster at blooming stage
Golden Rod Bunch for sale
THANK YOU