Information Technology In Agriculture

Information Technology in Agriculture

Pragya Agrawal MCA 4th Year International Institute of Professional Studies Devi Ahilya.Vishava Vidyalaya Indore

ABSTRACT

In the twenty-first century, we are facing the two major problems of human world, that are to

solve the food supply problem and the preservation of environment and natural resources. It is believed that the information Technology can surely contribute to solve these difficult problems. The Importance of potential expansibility and usability of the Information Technology in Agriculture are increasingly appreciated and highly evaluated among the agricultural scientists. Following are the areas where IT can be useful in the field of Agroinformatics. •

Management and Information in Agriculture

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Application of the Internet Technology in Agriculture

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Electronic Commerce in Agriculture

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Education and Training in Agroinformatics

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Rural Communication and Agroinformatics

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Internet Technology in Regional Agriculture

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Agroinformatics in Agricultural Extension Services

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Precision Agriculture and Information Technology

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Database for Agriculture

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Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System

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Remote Sensing and Image Processing

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Artificial Intelligence and Expert System

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Modelling Agricultural Systems

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PC Application Software for Agriculture

Though the population on the earth has not been really exploded yet, we can see clues of food crisis; that is, the lack of food in some of the developing countries is chronic and even major powers are facing the difficulties to balance the productivity and the environmental requirement. As the balance of the food supply and demand is now inevitably under the strategy of the world trading mechanism and the control of the power, it is almost meaningless to solve the crisis within a country. Only the international sharing and cooperation for sustainable food productivity on the basis of information sharing and mutual understanding could bring the solution.

It is believed that the information technology can surely contribute to the solution. First, the information communication technology such as the Internet that is now dynamically changing our life style and social consciousness will provide us the best tool for the information sharing and mutual communication. Second, we should not forget the possible contribution of information science to effective and stable production by several models such as crop growth prediction and decision support. Thus, the importance of the studies on Agroinformatics is undoubtedly increasing.

The Asian countries are keeping the highest growth rate in the world and the requirement on food is abruptly changing from quantity to quality. In addition, the Asian countries have their individual agricultural features that are not common in the USA or EU countries. The ricedependency and the farming scale are the typical examples. Agricultural production is becoming ever more dependant on Information Technology (IT). Although IT is relatively easy to adopt and cost effective its' adoption is not straightforward and initially can even be counter-productive. The explosive presence of Internet on the IT scene and the rapid adoption of Internet supported activities have created a wide range of opportunities and expectations. Internet for Agriculture in general and extension in particular are no exception.

Extension providers' and client expectations include superior information accessing and dissemination, EDI, ongoing farmer-extension-research communications - in effect with online effectiveness, better knowledge management, real and "just-in-time" information updating, discussion forums, integration of information sources, improved extension delivery, extension service organization and more. As is often the case with technological-innovation potential and expectations can outpace reality. Adoption is usually not spontaneous, the technology has to be taught and learned - adopted to existing experience and integrated into e.g. production. Specific environments dictate specific solutions, which have to be developed, alternatives - past and present including "resistance to change" can be impediments. These and many other reasons stand in the way of innovation-adoption with Internet for agriculture and extension again not being an exception.