Precision agriculture refers to the precise application of agricultural inputs

with respect to soil; weather and crop need in order to improve productivity,
quality, and profitability in agriculture.

It is a modern agriculture practice involving the use of technology in

agriculture like remote sensing, GPS and Geographical Information System
(GIS) for improving productivity and profitability.
Need for Precision Farming

1. To enhance productivity in agriculture.

2. Prevents soil degradation in cultivable land.
3. Reduction of chemical use in crop production
4. Efficient use of water resources
5. Dissemination of modern farm practices to improve quality, quantity &
reduced cost of production in agricultural crops

Concept of Precision Farming

Soil preparation can successfully be implemented after analyses:

a. Detailed soil survey maps, e.g. soil type and topography,

b. Soil physical property maps, e.g. texture and plant available water capacity,
c. Yield maps of the previous crop.
3. Precision Crop Management
 4. Precision Harvesting

 Harvesting is often the most critical step in the crop growth cycle. Speed,
accuracy and timing are the factors determining the success of all previous
steps.
 Although it is the “end” of one production cycle, the next production cycle
actually started at physiological maturity of the crop being harvested.
 5. Data Analyses and Evaluation

The production cycle stops at the end of the evaluation process. The strategy in
the previous four steps needs to be evaluated. The short-term and long-term
evaluation of data is necessary to identify.

 Profit or loss in each management zone,

 Effectiveness of communication systems, implements, sensors, technology,
etc.,
 Environmental impact
 New strategy for the next production cycle.
Importance of precision farming is to improve agricultural yield and reduce
potential environmental risks, while benefits are:
 Lowering fuel and energy use, meaning that less carbon dioxide is produced.
 Optimising nitrogen fertiliser use, thereby helping to reduce the amount of
nitrous oxide released from the soil.
 Maximising efficient use of inputs by locating and correcting soil health
deficiencies.
 By reducing waste.
 Improving productivity
 It help to increase total profit from Agriculture.
 Help to protect environment by precise application of inputs.
 Reduces fertilizer, pesticide cost and reduces pollution.
Tools of precision agriculture
3. Geographic information systems (GIS)
 Geographic information systems (GIS) are computer hardware and software
that use feature attributes and location data to produce maps.
 An important function of an agricultural GIS is to store layers of information,
such as yields, soil survey maps, remotely sensed data, rainfall, soil nutrient
levels and pest.
Variable Rate Technology
• VRT uses data and automation to apply fertilizer, crop protection products, seeds and even
irrigation water at different rates in different locations without a grower having to change
application rates.
• VRT works by using GPS and GIS technology to locate precise locations in the field for
material application, combined with collected data that informs a VRT-enabled piece of
equipment, such as a seeder, sprayer or fertilizer spreader, exactly where and at what rates
to apply products.  
Mobile Mapping System is designed to collect real time field data with certain
positioning information, editing, processing, visualizing, and mapping multi-
source data.
For precision farming, information technologies are so essential that Mobile
Mapping System is important or beneficial. Equipped with mapping sensors
and navigation sensors, Mobile Mapping System can collect field data
anytime, anywhere, in any manner. At the same time, Mobile Mapping
System can connect with a GIS or combine GIS software in its mobile
terminals directly. Thus Mobile Mapping System can monitor planting
process all along.
Function of Mobile Mapping System in precision agriculture
1. Improve the Accuracy of Soil Sampling:
• Soil conditions and soil quality influence crop growth greatly.
• Usually how often do farmers fertilize the soil or water the land depends on the soil
conditions and plant type.
• From the view of precision agriculture, soil is different meter by meter.
• Thereby soil sampling becomes the foundation step. The accuracy of soil sampling is
requested higher.
• Accuracy of soil sampling refers mainly to accurate degree of the position information where
the soil samples were taken.
• With the accurate knowledge about the coordinate location of the soil samples, a soil data
layer can be developed accordingly.
• Mobile Mapping System has equipped navigation sensors, such as GPS and INS, so the time
and position information can be recorded at the same time when soil samples are taken.
Consequently a soil difference map can be create, on which physical attribute of soil is
described.
Drip Irrigation
 Introduction
• Irrigation is an artificial application of water to
the soil through various systems of tubes,
pumps, and sprays.

• Irrigation is normally used in areas where

rainfall is inconsistent or dry conditions or
drought is expected.
 Drip Irrigation
• Drip irrigation is a micro irrigation method in which
the rate of water application is very low and without
any pressure, i.e., drop by drop.

• Drip irrigation is based on the basic concept of

irrigating only the root zones of crop , rather than the
entire land surface on which the crop is grown.

• The soil moisture content of the crop root zone is

maintain at near optimum level to facilitate
optimum crop growth and production.
Drip irrigation system layout
 Advantages of Drip Irrigation
• Less requirement of irrigation
water
• Water supply at optimum level
• Water logging is avoided
• High yield
• Over irrigation is avoided
• Variation in application rate
• Reduced labor cost
• Weed control
• Highly uniform distribution of
water
• Suitable for any topography
• Maintenance of high surface
temperature
• Improved disease and pest control
Disadvantages of drip irrigation

• High cost :
– drip irrigation systems are expensive because of there
requirements of large quantity of piping & filtration
equipment to clean the water.
• Clogging of drippers
• Chemical precipitation
• Salt accumulation at wetting front
 COMPONENTS OF DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

HEAD EQUIPMENTS
1. Water source - Subsurface tank
2. Pump - Suction, mono block pump, delivery non return valve, gate valve
3. Filter station - Sand filter, screen filter, manifold and pressure gauge
4. Fertiliser application - Fertiliser tank and ventury assembly

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
1. Conveyance line - Main line, sub main, laterals, minor tubes and end caps.
2. Drippers - Pressure corresponding drippers (moulded/threaded type).
3. Water meter - If necessary
1. Mainline - The mainline transports water within the field and distribute to
sub mains. Mainline is made of rigid PVC and High Density Polyethylene
(HDPE). Pipelines of 65 mm diameter.
2. Sub Mains - Sub mains distribute water evenly to a number of lateral lines.
For sub main pipes, rigid PVC, HDPE or LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) of
diameter ranging from 32 mm to 75 mm.
3. Laterals - Laterals distribute the water uniformly along their length by
means of drippers or emitters. These are normally manufactured from LDPE
and LLDPE. Generally pipes having 10, 12 and 16 mm internal diameter with
wall thickness varying from 1 to 3 mm are used as laterals.

4. Emitters / Drippers - They function as energy dissipaters, reducing the

inlet pressure head (0.5 to 1.5 atmospheres) to zero atmospheres at the outlet.
The commonly used drippers are online pressure compensating or online non-
pressure compensating, in-line dripper, adjustable discharge type drippers,
vortex type drippers and micro tubing of 1 to 4 mm diameter. These are
manufactured from Poly- propylene or LLDPE.
 INSTALLATION, OPERATION OF DRIP IRRIGATION
SYSTEM
The installation of the drip system is divided into 3 stages.
1. Fitting of head equipments
2. Connecting mains and sub mains
3. Laying of lateral with drippers.
FITTING OF HEAD EQUIPMENTS
The following points should be considered for fixing the position of filter
station.
1. Minimum use of fitting such as elbows and bends to be made
2. Whether the pump delivery can be connected to the sand / screen
filter.
3. Sand / screen filter can easily be connected to mainline.
4. Sufficient space to be provided for the easy operation of filter valves.
5. Use hold-tight over the threads of GI fittings and apply proper
mixture of M-seal over the joints uniformly to avoid leakage.
6. Fix the pressure gauges in inlet and outlet of the filter.
CONNECTING MAINS AND SUB MAINS
1. It should be laid at a depth of more than 30 - 45 cm so as to avoid
damages during intercultivation.
2. Remove mud, if any, in the pipes before fitting. These pipes can be
fitted using solvent cement with the help of brush
3. Provide flush valve at the end of main and sub main such that it
faces towards slope
4. Apply uniform pressure vertically over the drill while drilling in the
sub main so that the hole will be smooth and round.
LAYING OF LATERALS AND DRIPPERS
1. Pass water through the poly tube and get it flushed so
that it gets bulged and makes easy for punching
2. The dripper position should be fixed according to design,
soil and water report and water level in peak summer
3. If two drippers are to be provided such that all the
drippers come in a straight line
4. Punching should be done from the sub main
5. While fixing the dripper, push it inside the lateral and
pull it slightly
6. Close the end of lateral by fitting end cap
 FERTIGATION

This is the process of applying fertilisers

through the irrigation system.
ADVANTAGES
1. Eliminates manual application
2. Quick and convenient
3. Uniformity in application
4. High efficiency and saving of fertiliser upto 30 - 40%
5. Less fertilizer leaching
6. Co-ordination of nutrition requirement with crop stage or development
7. Possibility of dosage control.
8. others like herbicides, pesticides, acid, etc can also applied
 LIMITATIONS
1. Toxicity to field workers
2. Chance of backflow into water source
3. Insoluble fertilizers are not suitable (super phosphate)
4. Corrosive effect of fertilizer
5. High cost

Equipment and Methods for Fertilizer Injection: Injection of

fertilizer and other agrochemicals such as herbicides and pesticides
into the drip irrigation system is done by
i) By-pass pressure tank
ii) Venturi system
(i) By-pass pressure tank:
• This method employs a tank into which the dry or liquid fertilizers
kept.
• The tank is connected to the main irrigation line by means of a by-
pass so that some of the irrigation water flows through the tank and
dilutes the fertilizer solution.
• This by-pass flow is brought about by a pressure gradient between the
entrance and exit of the tank, created by a permanent constriction in
the line or by a control valve.