Agricultural problems and role of Information Technology for Agriculture

development in Punjab
Gurjeet Kaur, Research scholar
Department of post graduation and research in library and information science,
Gulbarga University, Kalaburgi (Karnataka)

Abstract:
This paper examines the problems and challenges of small farmers and agriculture in Punjab .
It covers general background of Punjab , problems of farmers , role of information technology ,
trends in agricultural growth, cultivation patterns , organizations , information wings , kheti
project benefits of IT in agriculture etc. It also provides information on techniques for using
input items such as seeds, fertilizer, water etc .

Introduction:
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the Indian economy. Two thirds of India makes its
living from the land, still its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) is now around one
sixth. But poorly maintained irrigation systems and lack of good extension services are
prominent factors of slow agricultural growth in India. Current agricultural practices are neither
economically nor environmentally sustainable. The prices of crops have been pushed down day
by day and-the prices of inputs such as seed, fertilizers and pesticides have gone up. With
limited resources, farmers depend on borrowed money to purchase seeds and other inputs for
their farm and their land. this is the reason, in India, one farmer committed suicide after every
32 minutes .

General Background of Punjab:

Punjab, the granary of India, has played a historic role in transforming India from a
nation that was food deficient to one that is self-sufficient. The Punjab state with only 1.53 % of
geographical area of the country has been contributing major proportions of wheat and of rice of
the national food reserves during the last three decades.
But Since the 1980 s, the colour has been fading. Most of the experts have expressed
persistent concerns and focus regarding the margin of profit from major crops and farm size etc.
The depletion of ground water, degradation of soil health and soil texture, deterioration of
ecology and environment are very serious challenges that Punjab agriculture is facing. Punjab s
agrarian economy today stands at crossroads. The majority (nearly 80%) of the cultivators and

all the agricultural laborers are beleaguered by stagnation. The existing cropping pattern and
crop-technology offer no solution to these problems.

PROBLEMS FACED BY THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Inadequate infrastructure and policies. The average size of land holdings, Low
investment in big and small of farms leads to lower production.
Poor socio-economic condition of farmers. Lack of technical knowledge and awareness
are also responsible for low productivity, it increases the problem of poverty among
farmers.
No proper management of irrigation: Irrigation facilities are inadequate and there is no
effective system management for how much water is stored, how much is used for
irrigation or what value can be added to this water.
Dependence of agriculture on weather: most of the farmers dependent on the monsoon
because irrigation facilities are not fully developed. If the monsoon fails or it rains
heavily or untimely, it ruins agricultural production.
The agriculture sector faces the adverse consequences of hazards: Common natural
hazards are floods, cyclones, landslides, forest fires, avalanches, earthquakes, tsunamis
and pest/disease outbreaks in plants and animals. Manmade disasters include fire,
spurious seed, fertilizers and pesticides and price fluctuation.
Disasters leading to rural poverty The degradation of natural resource may be caused
by drought or flood because of global warming or by modern farming methods which
affect the land negatively, ultimately making rural people poor.
Inefficient finance and marketing services for farm produce and inconsistent
government policy. Agricultural subsidies and taxes often change without notice for
short-term political ends.

Role of Information Technology in Agriculture

The Information and Communication Technologies can generate new opening to bridge the gap
between information haves and information have-nots in the developing countries. The emerging ICT
have momentous role to perform in agricultural development. There are many possibilities of integration
of ICT in agricultural, for the overall agricultural and rural development. The success also depends on
access to efficient, effective irrigation to supplement rainfall in many climates; on advanced harvesting,
handling and storage equipment and techniques to prevent losses and to market commodities efficiently.
It depends, in turn, on both public and private investment to provide access to technology, equipment,
information and physical facilities throughout the production-marketing system. And, it depends on well

supported commercial and financial systems and broad public policies that support effective commercial
markets at all levels that generate economic returns throughout the system.

1.

Agricultural Information Wing

With the introduction of new technology at a rapid speed, practical training and education to the
farmers engaged in agriculture and allied occupations had become necessity of the day. Agricultural
Information Wing plays a major role in transmitting the latest farm technology to the farmers through
farmers training camps and literature.
A. Farmer s Training: To impart training to the farmers, there are 12 Farmers Training
Centers in the State including PAU. Ludhiana & Khalsa College, Amritsar. About three lac
farmers are imparted training every year during Rabi and Kharif seasons and also by holding
specialized training course in agriculture & other allied subjects.
B. Agriculture Fair & Exhibitions :Agriculture Information Unit arranged Agricultural
Exhibitions at the District level during farmers Training Camps with the help of the field
staff. Training was imparted to the farmers for the adoption of latest scientific technology.
Practical demonstrations were also arranged at these exhibitions sites for the benefit of the
farmers.

(ref. googleimage)
C. Kisan Call Centre :The Govt of India has launched a Kissan Call Center on 21.1.2004 to
solve the emerging needs of the farmers in the country. The purpose of the KCC is mainly to
respond the issues raised by the farmers in the local languages prevailing in the areas
instantly on a continuous basis. Punjab have been set at Chandigarh.

2.

The KHETI project

The Agricultural Information Flow System titled Knowledge Help Extension Technology Initiative
(KHETI) was funded by the EPSRC. (a NGO in India). The primary objective of KHETI was to speed-up
the communications amongst various stakeholders involved in the extension services delivery system.
Stakeholders include agricultural scientists, agriculture communication specialists, communities and
farmers.

3. Low external input and sustainable agriculture approaches

The LEISA approaches involve limiting the use of external inputs such as
inorganic fertilizers and pesticides and relying more on local and naturally available
resources and a combination of traditional and improved methods to manage soil fertility,
water, pests and other agronomic needs. The particular methods used include a wide
range of technologies, such as water harvesting; soil and water conservation measures;
minimum or zero tillage; the application of manure and compost; the incorporation of
crop residues; the transfer of biomass and mulching; the use of leguminous cover crops,
shrubs, or trees in improved fallows or intercropping systems; the use of crop rotation to
manage soil fertility and pests; and integrated pest management (IPM). The ecological
principles underlying these technologies involve providing favourable soil conditions for
plant growth by managing soil organic matter and enhancing soil biological activity;
optimizing plant nutrient availability through biological nitrogen fixation, nutrient
recycling and the limited use of inorganic fertilizers; minimizing losses by managing
microclimates and water to prevent erosion; minimizing pest and disease problems
through IPM; and exploiting complementarities in the use of genetic resources by
combining these in farming systems with a high degree of genetic diversity . Advocates
of these approaches argue that increasing biological diversity in agricultural systems
helps to improve food security by increasing nutritional diversity, reducing the
susceptibility of crops to biotic and abiotic stresses, and increasing the diversity of
income sources among farmers.
a. water harvesting:

Most successful modern efforts to promote water harvesting has been an

integrated watershed development programme in india. Numerous integrated watershed
projects in India are promoting water harvesting, soil and water conservation measures
and other aspects of watershed management by tens of thousands of farm households in
hundreds of villages, also with favourable reported impacts on crop yields, farm incomes,
wateravailability, land degradation and social indicators.

b. Minimum tillage:

Minimum or zero tillage is a more recent innovation and has recently been widely
adopted in the rice-wheat farming system in the Indo-Gangeti Plain. Since being
introduced by researchers from a consortium of international agricultural research centers
and NARSs in the late 1990s , the adoption of zero tillage for wheat has spread rapidly to
more than 1 million farmers on an estimated 5.6 million hectares . Such rapid and
widespread adoption of a natural resource management innovation is rare, although zero
or minimum tillage has also been adopted on a large scale in intensive mechanize farming
systems elsewhere, with global adoption estimated to be as high as 90 million hectares
(Murray 2005). The wheat yields of farmers have reportedly improved, while the costs
have been reduced by an average of US$65 per hectare. This innovation also conserves
water and reduces herbicide use.
c. Integrated pest management (IPM)

Farmers are taught how to recognize pest problems in the field and the methods of
controlling them through the minimum use of pesticides whenever they cannot be controlled by
other agronomic or biological means. A wide variety of methods are used, including agronomic
practices such as intercropping and crop rotation to provide habitat for pest predators and break
cycles of infestation; growing plants that are repellent or attractive to pests in the cropping
system to push or pull th pests away from valuable crops; and the use of traps, bio-pesticides and
pest-resistant crop varieties. Success relies less on the implementation of a standard package than
upon farmers learning the principles of the approach and becoming able to apply these principles
in their own fields.

4. Agricultural Organization: There are various department and organizations which

are deal with agriculture. these are:
a. Department of agriculture Punjab: the Department of Agriculture, Punjab was
constituted during the British Regime in 1960.A.D. main purpose of department to
provides Extension and Training , High yielding varieties programme , Input section
(Fertilizer with soil) , Plant Protection and Cash crops. The State , the Main supporting
wing responsible for crops yield estimation and census work.

Soil and water testing: Soil testing services are provided at nominal charges to the
farmers. Special soil testing campaigns are launched to collect representative samples and
tested free of cost. The samples are sent to the concerned laboratories for analysis Soil
Health Cards/Analysis report with fertilizer recommendation are sent to the concerned
farmers. Farmers are advised to use fertilizers as per Soil health Cards. Water samples
are also analyzed in the laboratories for assessing its quality

Fertilizers: Efficient use of fertilizers is a major factor in any programme designed to

bring about an economic increase in agricultural production. The kinds and amounts of
fertilizers required for the same crop vary from field to field on the same soil, even soil to
soil. Fertilizer recommendations from a soil testing laboratory are based on carefully
conducted soil analysis and the results of up-to-date agronomic research on the crop, and
it therefore is most scientific information available for fertilizing that crop in that field.

SEED: Seed is the most vital and critical input in agriculture on which the efficacy of
other agricultural inputs depends. Seed acts as a catalyst in agricultural production. The
seed sector has made impressive progress over the last three decades. There has been a
steady increase in the breeder seed and quality seed produced over years. SRR of Wheat
was 35% is increased to 39% due to this the area under Wheat is increased 2.61% and
production is increased by 13.40% and Wheat productivity increased in all the districts
ranges from 2.24% to 17.90.

5. ORGNIZATIONS
A. Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development: CARD was Established and
registered in the year 2000 under the Societies Registration Act 1860, Centre for
Agriculture and Rural Development is a premier Non Government Organisation,
accredited with ISO 9001. CARD is engaged in a variety of activities in agriculture,
horticulture and rural development with an all India presence. CARD envisages to
develop agriculture and rural sector through project based activities. It focuses on
information dissemination, training, capacity building and technology exposure by
organising business seminars, technical conferences, farmers workshops, agro trade fairs,
conducting surveys & studies and adopting villages for their sustainable development.
b. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation
under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of
Agriculture, Government of India. The ICAR has played a pioneering role in ushering
Green Revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture in India through its
research and technology development that has enabled the country to increase the
production of foodgrains by 5 times, horticultural crops by 9.5 times, fish by 12.5
times , milk 7.8 times and eggs 39 time since 1951 to 2014, thus making a visible impact
on the national food and nutritional security. It has played a major role in promoting
excellence in higher education in agriculture.
c. The Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) was
established on 29 December 1989 at the PAU Campus, Ludhiana, Punjab, India as a

nodal institute to undertake lead researches in the area of the post-harvest engineering
and technology appropriate to agricultural production catchment and agro-industries.
d. Central Potato Research Station, Jalandhar (Punjab) is one of the seven regional
research stations of the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).
The station is actively involved in quality potato seed production which is supplied to the
other Government Agencies and potato growers of Punjab and other states.
e. The Punjab Agricultural University was established in 1962 to serve the state of
erstwhile Punjab. The PAU has played a key role in increasing food grain production in
the Punjab State several folds share its reputation and ushering in an era of Green
Revolution in India. It has also made notable contributions in increasing livestock and
poultry production. In recognition of its outstanding achievements in agricultural
research, education and extension, it was adjudged the Best Agricultural University in
India in 1995.

f.

Punjab State Co-operative Agricultural Development Bank Limited: It was

previously known as The Punjab State Co-operative Land Mortgage Bank Ltd., was
registered on 26.02.1958, under the Cooperative Societies Act basically with the object to
grant long term loans to the owners of land or other immovable property so as to enable
them to discharge their debts, to carry out Agricultural improvements, to acquire land for
the formation of economic holdings and other purposes, thereby to promote thrift and self
help among them.

6. Agriculture portals

www.indiaagristat.com - It is a comprehensive source for Indian agriculture

statistics which is regularly updated. It provides authentic statistical information on
sectors like agricultural education, agricultural export, agriculture census, agriculture
prices, agricultural insurance, animal husbandry, agricultural marketing, horticulture
production, agricultural wages and all other relevant agricultural statistics of India. It
also provides the agriculture related news.The statistics available on this web site is
widely used by Indian agriculture research institutes, Indian agriculture sector,
agricultural economists and Indian agriculture universities for Indian agricultural
information, agriculture research and agricultural production data.

www.isapindia.org - The site is all about the Indian society of agribusiness

professional (ISAP) which works for helping the farmers' community and address the

rural- urban income divide. It is a network of agriculture and allied sector

professionals in India and developing countries.

www.carrittmoran.com - This site provides, information regarding tea and coffeestatistics (on production and sale), catalogues (of area- wise sale of different varieties
of tea and coffee in India), market reports and TASI.

www.fciweb.nic.in - This is the site by Food Corporation of India. It works for

effective price support, food security, price stabilization and distribute food grains
through public distribution system for the benefit of both farmers and consumers.

www.fredisurti.com - Fredisurti is a flower company specializing in flower seeds.

This site offers garden consultancy and distributor for all kinds of seeds.

www.indiancommodities.com - Information on cotton, rice, wheat, oilseeds,

pulses, spices, coffee, and tea. This site requires registration, login and payment.

7. Benefits of ICT in Agriculture

v Crop agriculture has changed more in the past century than it has since farming began
many millennia ago. Modern-day crop production practices, often called precision
agriculture (PA), benefited from all earlier revolutions in crop production.
v Precision agriculture technology developed because of ubiquitous and inexpensive
computational power, software (GIS), and satellite location systems (GPS). Precision
agriculture equipment enables variable-rate fertilizer, herbicide, plant population, and
yield assessment. Wide adoption of PA equipment will occur as it becomes economical.

v Technology has moved crop production from a high labor and low capital intensive to a
low labor and high capital intensive industry. Typical Midwest Corn Belt farms have
gone from less than 160 acres to more than 500 acres. The labor necessary to produce a
bushel of corn decreased from more than thirty minutes in 1930 to a fraction of a minute
in 2002.
v Availability of high powered well designed equipment; well-adapted hybrids and
varieties; precise weed, insect, and disease control; improved plant and animal genetics;
and improved animal health have all contributed to the revolution in plant production.
Biotechnology and computer revolutions enable us to manage large operations and design

crops and animals that will be more nutritious in the future. Consumers are the major
beneficiary of these developments since food purchases now requires less than 10 percent
of average income.

Conclusion :
The role of Information Technology to develop agriculture and quality of life in rural
area is well established. IT can help an average Indian farmer to get relevant information
regarding agro-inputs, crop production technologies, agro processing, market support, agrofinance and management of farm agri-business. The agricultural extension mechanism is
becoming dependent on IT to provide appropriate and location specific technologies for the
farmers to furnish timely and proficient advice to the farmers IT can be a best mean not only to
develop agricultural extension but also to expand agriculture research and education system.

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