Precision Agriculture

A 17-year-old from a small Nashik village watched his uncle return home exhausted from long days of spraying fields. That longing to ease a loved one’s struggle sparked an idea, and he began building a simple, smart robot from scrap that is now helping farmers work with far less strain.

Drip irrigation delivers water directly to plant roots, reducing wastage and improving crop health. This step-by-step guide helps farmers design, install, and maintain an efficient system for sustainable farming.

Students from Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram, developed ‘Mati Rakshak’, a handheld IoT soil testing device paired with the bilingual ‘Agroww’ app. This solution offers real-time soil nutrient analysis, helping Indian farmers optimise fertiliser use, improve crop health, and reduce environmental impact.

Inspired by the precision and density techniques employed in European vineyards, Suraj Panigrahy decided to bring this innovative approach to India’s mango farming. Using drones, drip irrigation, and sensors, he maximises yield by seven times.

Awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously, Dr Sanjaya Rajaram, an Indian-Mexican agricultural scientist, developed high-yielding and disease-resistant wheat varieties that small and large farmers grow across 51 countries.