SMART IRRIGATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY

SMART IRRIGATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY ‘‘In 2050 the world will need to provide food for nine billion people. Meeting this mass demand will require an increase in food production levels by some 70%, which is possible only through agricultural productivity. Volatility in the climate amplifies the vulnerability of the resource-dependent agricultural sector. Agriculture accounts for around a quarter of the global greenhouse gas emissions and 68% of total freshwater withdrawals and consumption in the world(www.undp.org). With this perennial dichotomy, it is imperative that agriculture productivity increases but with efficient use of resources. The recent black swan event of COVID along with the perils of climate change has created mammoth problems for the agriculture sector distorting cultivation, harvesting, supply chains, and markets. At the same time, agriculture commodities have remained the only essential need for human survival. It is therefore the time to understand the necessity for revival and growth of this sector. Across the globe, there is an urgent need for transforming agricultural practices as climate change and food demand increase strain on this sector. In India, the Agriculture sector is undoubtedly the largest livelihood provider, especially in rural regions. It also contributes a significant portion to the country’s per capita income. Irrigation is the most important component of farming. It directly impacts the volume of harvest. It is also affected by climate change by either increasing or decreasing water supply. India, a developing economy has the majority of farmers who own farms less than two hectors. Is the Indian agriculture adequately developed to use modern irrigation techniques? This paper intends to find out the contemporary irrigation techniques used by the farmers in India, a developing and agrarian economy. This research paper uses exploratory research design, secondary and primary data sources for analyzing the implementation and effect of using innovative irrigation technology. The research describes case studies of enterprises that are developing innovative, digitally-based smart irrigation technology models to leverage agricultural productivity and make it sustainable. The paper begins with introduction and literature review, followed by research objectives and methodology, enumerates types of irrigation methods followed by primary data analysis, case studies, discussions, and conclusion