Shaping the Deep-Tech Revolution in Agriculture Report: WEF

Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture/Artificial Intelligence

Context

• The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with stakeholders from both industry and academia, has launched a new insights report ‘Shaping the Deep-Tech Revolution in Agriculture’.

About

• The report identifies seven deep-tech domains with the potential to drive agricultural transformation: 
  • Generative AI: Using large-language models, predictive analytics for pest, yield, labour optimisation. 
  • Computer Vision: Real-time image/video data for monitoring crops, detecting diseases/defects, sorting produce. 
  • Edge Internet of Things (IoT): On-farm sensors/devices processing data locally for irrigation, fertilisation, pest control especially in remote/low-connectivity areas. 
  • Satellite-enabled Remote Sensing: Earth observation for soil health, moisture, crop status, supply-chain risks. 
  • Robotics (and Drones/Autonomous systems): Automating labour‐intensive tasks like planting, weeding, harvesting; swarm robotics etc. 
  • CRISPR / Gene Editing: Developing climate-resilient, pest/disease‐resistant crop varieties faster than conventional breeding. 
  • Nanotechnology: Precise application of inputs (fertilisers, pesticides), improving efficiency, reducing waste/environmental impact.
• Concerns: Rising rural-to-urban migration, intensifying climate extremes, and accelerating degradation of natural resources, particularly soil and water, are collectively threatening productivity and endangering the livelihoods that depend on agriculture.
• Case studies from India Include:
  • A variety of rice developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) using CRISPR, tolerating drought/salinity, yields higher and emissions lower. 
  • Use of remote sensing + drones + mobile apps in the Indian crop-insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for quicker, more transparent damage assessment. 

Government of India Initiatives

• India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA): It is a framework designed to lay down the architecture for a federated farmers’ database, facilitating innovative agri-focused solutions using emerging technologies to enhance the agricultural ecosystem.
• National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A): Funds are allocated to states/UTs for projects involving modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Drones, Data Analytics, and Blockchain in agriculture.
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): A pan-India electronic trading portal connecting Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities, providing digital services to traders, farmers, and mandis.
• Mobile Apps by ICAR: More than 100 mobile apps developed by ICAR, State Agricultural Universities, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras are offering valuable information to farmers on crops, horticulture, veterinary, dairy, poultry, fisheries, and natural resources management.
• Soil Health Card Scheme: The Soil Health Card Scheme aims to assess the nutrient status of soil and provide customized recommendations for nutrient management to farmers. 
• ‘Kisan e-Mitra’ is a voice-based AI-powered chatbot developed to assist farmers with responses to their queries on the PM KisanSammanNidhi scheme. 
• The National Pest Surveillance System, for tackling the loss of produce due to climate change, utilizes AI and Machine Learning to detect pest infestation in crop issues, enabling timely intervention for healthier crops.
• Namo Drone Didi: It is  a Central Sector Scheme for a period of 3 years (2023-24 to 2025-26) with the major aims and objectives promoting advanced technology in agriculture for improved efficiency, enhanced crop yield and reduced cost of operation.
• Promotion of Precision Farming: Initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) promote precision farming techniques, including drip irrigation and fertigation, which enable more efficient use of fertilizers, including urea, by delivering nutrients directly to plants’ root zones.

Conclusion

• Global agriculture is at a critical juncture: challenges include climate change, natural-resource degradation (soil, water), aging and shrinking farming populations, and growing food demand. 
• Conventional methods alone will not suffice to meet the scale and urgency of feeding a growing population while maintaining sustainability. 
• The report argues that deep-tech applied to agriculture can help future-proof farming systems: increase productivity, build resilience, and improve sustainability.

Source: BL