Emerging technologies in farm mechanization for rainfed agriculture

Abstract

Labour availability for agricultural operations is reducing day-by-day. As a result, there are increasing trends in labour charges, which affect the cost of production in a significant way. In rainfed agriculture, timeliness and precision of each agricultural operation is important for successful crop production. Further, rainfed agriculture is more vulnerable to climate change impacts. This warrants mitigation measures. In this context, farm mechanization with appropriate farm machinery is very pertinent. Recently, farm mechanization in rainfed agriculture is increasing to reduce the cost of cultivation and also to enhance the productivity. Precision agriculture with additional features is gaining popularity as its relevance becomes more obvious. Various emerging technologies have been developed to enhance the sustainability, production, and profitability in a precise way. This article focusses on some of the promising technologies for the sustainability of rainfed agriculture production systems.