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While agriculture represents 75% of its GDP, India is experimenting with several solutions to modernise its agricultural practices and obtain better yields. After having undergone an unprecedented modernisation, particularly through mechanisation, the country’s leading sector could undergo a second revolution in the coming years.
Aquaponics
By 2050, it is estimated that India’s growing population will lead to the urbanisation of nearly 70% of land. With the production techniques of conventional agriculture, such circumstances would not be able to feed the 1.7 billion inhabitants that the country would then have. In this context, aquaponics could be a particularly relevant solution. This system couples aquaculture (raising fish) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water). A perfectly sustainable solution, as the waste produced by the fish is directly used to feed the plants. Ultimately, aquaponics reduces water and energy consumption whilst preserving soil. These facilities can easily be installed in urban areas, allowing cities to be partially supplied with locally produced food.
Sentinel species
Also known as an ecosystem sentinel, a sentinel species is a plant whose sensitivity to the smallest changes in the environment serves as an early indicator of more lasting changes in an ecosystem. Placed near fields, ecosystem sentinels raise the alarm via signs of stress visible to the naked eye: yellowing of leaves, stunted growth, development of antibodies… Thanks to sentinel species, it is possible to detect soil degradation upstream, and then bring about solutions.
The advent of drones
Today, large-scale farmers and investors in the agricultural sector make their decisions based on studies and statistics that range from soil conditions, average rainfall, plot size, sunlight exposure, and disease risks. All the data needed for decision-making is collected manually at soil level or via satellites. In both cases, the costs are significant. With the emergence of drones, it may be possible to collect this data at a lower cost and, above all, in real time as the time required to intervene on a given plot of land would be extremely short.
Sensors that detect plant diseases
A new type of hyperspectral sensor has made its appearance on the latest smartphone models. Not only does it have the advantage of being inexpensive, but more importantly, it allows farmers to obtain extremely accurate images of their crops via an application connected to a constantly evolving database. In particular, they can spot warning signs of plant diseases to better anticipate them and respond in a consistent and proportionate manner. This is a good way to minimise losses while limiting the use of chemical inputs that destabilise the soil. An innovation that India is studying closely.