Precision Farming System

 Background  

Tamil Nadu Precision Farming Project was a Tamil Nadu State sponsored turnkey project was implemented at Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts in 400 ha with a total budget of 7.20 lakhs for a period of three years (2004-05 to 2006-07).  It is a State Mega demo which had trained the farmers and empowered technically, economically and socially. The project had adequately prepared the farmers for market driven production at a time when MNCs like Wall Mart, Carry Four, Tesco, Wools Worth, Reliance, Barti –Telecom Food Bazaar, Blue Foods, Future Group, Priya Gold, Subhiksha, Pantaloon, Mother Dairy, Metro, House CHRT and Adani are all set for invasion into retail vegetable market in India.

400 ha were planted with 23 kinds of crops over three years and recorded 60 % increase in yield and 90 % marketable quality. The buyers and sellers meets have now became every day affair in as much as the cluster level associations and District level federations of the farmers assumed bargaining powers both for sale of the produce and for purchase of inputs as well. The site has now become the training ground for the farmers of rest of the state.

Cluster approach 
The cluster approach was adopted for operational conveniences and better logistics. The consolidation of holdings was not done in as much as the farm holding were too small and there was lesser compatibility among the farmers. The cluster approach rendered support to collective marketing through mutual consultations and discussions. There were proactive farmers, active farmers and indifferent farmers in each cluster at the beginning of the project but their awareness level at the end of harvest of 1st crop was satisfactory to accept the change in perception and mindset. There are ten registered Precision Farmers Associations and they regularly meet during first week of every month to discuss about the markets and interact with buyers and input suppliers. Every one of the association is slowly getting empowered in as much as it acts as redressal mechanism for the problems of the farming.

• Adhiyaman Precision Farmer’s Association, Dharmapuri
• Thiruvalluvar Precision Farmer’s Association, Dharmapuri
• Moulayanoor Precision Farmer’s Association, Dharmapuri
• Mahatma Gandhi Precision Farmers’ Association, Dharmapuri
• Annamalaiyar Precision Farmers’ Association, Dharmapuri
• Bagalur Berigai Precision Farmers’ Association, Krishnagiri
• Sarvodaya Precision Farmers Association, Saragapally, Krishnagiri
• Sri Sathya Sai Precision Farmers Association, Jakkeri Krishnagiri.
• V.N.R. Precision Farmers Association, Rayakottai, Krishnagiri
• Dharmapuri Precision Farmers Agro Services Ltd.,

Dharmapuri, (First Producer Company in TamilNadu)
Precision Farmers Associations at Dharmapuri have established their own Agro Service institution to deal with seeds, fertilizer, pesticides etc., They are able to procure and deliver better inputs in required quantities at required time at reasonable prices (with a transparent margin) to the concerned association member farmers.  The firm was incorporated under company’s Act and started functioning from 01.02.07. It is a total empowerment of the farmers to become entrepreneurs.

Benefits of the project

• 60 to 80 % higher yield in all the crops (The highest possible yield records under Indian conditions)
  
• 90% plus first grade marketable produce
• Weight by volume is 25% higher
•  30% premium price in the market
•  5-6 days more shelf life
•  Less labour dependence
•  30-40 % Water economy
•  Extended harvest ensuring sales during the period of peak    
  price
•  Empowerment of farmers technically, economically and socially
•  Establishment of Producer Company incorporated under  Company Act

Key technologies 
Chisel plough 
The chisel plough technology ensures better aeration to root zone and effective drainage during rainy days.  Further it helps the plants to develop root system with characteristical uniformity, pattern, and architecture and in adequate mass. The Chisel plough needs to be operated once in two years. Compared to single tine chisel plough five tine chisel is effective in hard soils.

Hi-Tech Community Nursery
The seedlings are to be raised in pro trays under net houses with insect proof netting making use of (EC and pH adjusted) coco peat media treated with pseudomonas. The seedlings produced will be strikingly uniform with similar physical and physiological age thus ensuring 100 per cent field stand and sustain 100 per cent productive plants.  The root mass is on the outer surface of root ball and hence there is no causality. The Cabbage and Cauliflower seedlings are extremely sensitive to pH and EC of the media while chilli and brinjal Hybrid seedlings are hardy. One net house nursery (300sm) is recommended for every cluster consisting of 20 ha.

Drip and Fertigation System 
Drip and fertigation system ensures water economy, precise application of water-soluble fertilizers to root zone and keep an ideal soil moisture regime of 60 percent and aeration of 40 %.  In conventional system, immediately after irrigation, the air gradient of soil becomes zero and moisture gradient becomes 100 per cent.  Before irrigation the gradients are reversed thus exerting stress over the root zone.  In fertigated fields, the moisture regime was 60 per cent and air gradient was 40 per cent.  Thus the growth became unchecked from seedling to harvest. Surface of the soil is dry during most part of the cropping season hence less weeds which reduces labour expenses on weeding and less pathogen which reduces cost of plant protection. Further the row crop geometry renders effective spray of pesticides and residual toxicity is comparatively less than the conventional system. Fertigation ensures precise dosage at critical stages of the crop in the immediately available form and hence the crop growth is unchecked through out the crop period. Extended harvest is possible with fertigation.

Scale Up
The Precision Farming programme is now being scaled up into all the districts under NADP for the benefit of farming Community and the following is the target distribution among implementing agencies for implementation to cover 12,800 ha during 2007-08:

Physical target

a. Focus districts	TNAU	Directorate of Horticulture	Directorate of Agriculture	Total
1. Coimbatore	-	500	500	1000
2. Dhamapuri	100	450	450	1000
3. Dindigul	-	500	500	1000
4. Krishnagiri	-	500	500	1000
5. Namakkal	-	500	500	1000
6. Perambalur (Ariyalur)	-	500	500	1000
7. Ramnad	100	450	450	1000
8. Salem	100	450	450	1000
9. Villupuram	100	450	450	1000
Sub Total (A)	400	4300	4300	9000

 

b. Other districts	TNAU	Directorate of Horticulture	Directorate of Agriculture	Total
1. Cuddalore	20	90	90	200
2. Erode	-	100	100	200
3. Pudukottai	20	90	90	200
4. Kanyakumari.	20	90	90	200
5. Karur	-	100	100	200
6. Kanchipuram.	-	100	100	200
7. Madurai.	20	90	90	200
8. Nagai	20	90	90	200
9. Sivaganga	-	100	100	200
10. Tanjore	-	100	100	200
11. Theni	-	100	100	200
12. Trichy	20	90	90	200
13. Tirunelveli	-	100	100	200
14. Tiruvallur	20	90	90	200
15. Tiruvannamalai	-	100	100	200
16. Tiruvarur	20	90	90	200
17.Tuticorin	-	100	100	200
18.Vellore	20	90	90	200
19.Virudhunagar	20	90	90	200
Sub Total (B)	200	1800	1800	3800
Grand Total (A+B)	600	6100	6100	12800

Budget break up among PIAs

Project	Activities / Interventions	Total Budget	Breakup Among Departments
			Budget Share (Rs. in lakhs)
			DOA	DOH	AB&M*	TNAU	Others
Precision Farming	Drip & Fertigation system and other inputs which includes seeds, WSF, PP, Nursery	5273.60	2513.20	2513.20	--	247.20	--
	HRD to Farmers on PF	128.00	61.00	61.00	--	6.00
	Exposure Visit to Markets	83.00	-	-	76.00*	7.00
	Farmers Participatory Research and Extension	90.00	--	--	--	90.00
	Contractual Services @20ha/one	537.60	256.20	256.20	--	25.20
	TA+DA+Vehicle hire charge	128.00	61.00	61.00	--	6.00
	Publicity	64.00	30.50	30.50	--	3.00
	Monitoring and Evaluation including  establishment of Training Cell at RRS Paiyur	64.00	--	--	--	64.00
	Total	6368.20	2921.90	2921.90	76.00	448.40	--

* Subject to issue of revised G.O based on the proposal sent to the government

 Component wise budget                             

Sl. No.	Component	Dovetail to MIS (Rs.)	NADP
			Per ha	1000 ha  (Rs. Lakhs)	200 ha (Rs. Lakhs)
		Per Ha (Rs.)
A. Cultivation expenses
01.	Drip & Fertigation system @ Rs.80,000 for  1.5m x 0.5 m design,                   50%= Rs.40,000/- (Rs.28800+11200= 40,000)	(28,800)	11,200	112.00	22.40
02.	Community nursery @ one / 20 ha @ Rs.1.00 lakh / unit for the farmers group	-	(5,000)	50.00	10.00
	Sub Total (A)	28,800	11,200	162.00	32.40
B.Cultivation / Input Cost
01.	Seed & Plants @ Rs.5000/ ha	-	5,000	50.00	10.00
02.	WSF @ Rs.15,000 / ha	-	15,000	150.00	30.00
03.	Plant protection chemicals @ Rs.5000 / ha	-	5,000	50.00	10.00
	Sub Total (B)		25,000	250.00	50.00
C. Service cost
06.	Technical Assistance @ one Tech Person/20ha @ Rs.7000 x 12 months (6000+HRA+TA) 50 candidates	-	-	42.00	8.40
07.	Training to farmers (1000)  2 days training @ Rs.500 /day/ head at Dharmapuri as given under 10.9 of this document	-	-	10.00 (1000 Nos.)	2.00 (200 Nos.)
08.	Exposure visit to markets* (office bearers 50 x 3 = 150+50 Technical staff) 200 x @ 2500 / head	-	-	5.00 (200Nos)	2.00 (80nos)
09.	TA + DA + Vehicle hire Charges	-	-	10.00	2.00
10.	Publicity and documentation	-	-	5.00	1.00

11.	Monitoring and evaluation including  establishment of Training Cell at RRS Paiyur	-	-	5.00	1.00
12.	Farmer Participatory Researchable issues             (List In annexure V)			10.00	-
	Sub Total (C)	-	-	87.00	16.40
	Grand Total (A+B+C)	-	-	499.00	98.80
	Budget for 9 districts X Rs.499.00	-	-	4491.00	--
	Budget for 19 districts X Rs.98.80	-	-	--	1877.20
	Total Budget under NADP (Rs.4491.00+1877.20)         =  Rs.6368.20 Budget Dovetailed from MIS 12800 ha X Rs.28,800     =  Rs.3686.40
	Total Project Cost                                                        =  Rs.10054.60

* Visit to Safal market, Bangalore and koyembedu market, Chennai is compulsory

Special initiatives to be taken by PIAs
Market support 
The office beares of the farmers associations and department staff are to be taken to market places like Cochin or Chennai or Safal or Coimbatore to get them sensitized on the importance of minimal grading and sorting at the farm end and timely delivery at the market.  Further the buyers from the market are taken to be invited to the project site and impress them on the healthy, hi-tech production system, highlight the best of the quality parameters and strengthen the supply chain.  Market information support is to be provided and buyer seller meets may be arranged to link the market.

Insurance cover 
The crops and systems may be insured making use of the insurance scheme in operation both at Department end and insurance company end. 

Farm documentation and record maintenance 
Each farmer has to maintain a weekly DMS to record all the activities of the week, including inputs used and the harvests made.  (Annexure-VI a, b and c). This record also helps to work out the economics of production and arrive at cost benefit ratio. The farm records will be printed and supplied to the PIAs by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University  based on their indent. The PIAs should send the money to TNAU towards the supply of farm records. The newer laws in EU demand traceability which is essentially through maintenance of records at farm level.  The records are to be signed both by scientists / ADA or ADH and the farmers and are a fool proof document to ensure food safety in long run. 

Selection process 
Criteria for selection of beneficiary farmers

• Individual farmer owning minimum of one ha of land is eligible (For wide spaced crops like coconut and perennial horticultural crops, the unit size shall be more than 1 ha, adequate to avail Rs.40,000/- subsidy, i.e. the total estimate may be maximum of Rs.80,000/-)
• Two or three farmers having less than 1 ha also can join together (by mutual agreement duely registered) and avail one ha with common water facility.
• If the deed and title of the land is in the name of parents and if heirs who cultivate the land prefers to become the beneficiary, the legal land owner should tender a letter of authorization in favour of the heir who cultivates the land.
• Twenty farmers constitute one cluster.
• The selection of 20 farmers as cluster may be from one revenue village to the extent possible. If not from two neighboring villages but not in a scattered manner.
• The farmers who have availed drip under Micro Irrigation Scheme  (MIS) and Precision Farming for an area less than 5 ha are also eligible.
• Farmers interest group having minimum 20 members owning 1 ha    each commodity based associations having minimum of 20  members owning one ha each. The land / field need not be contiguous but with in a block is preferable.

Criteria for selection of fields

• Soil is of moderate fertility and not a problem soil with extreme alkalinity or acidity or sodicity.
• Should have own water source or if the source is to be shared by the concurrence of other owners in writing to run the motor for two hours daily, needs to be produced.
• The land title should be in the owners name (Chitta, Adangal and RSR to be produced)
• Pumping system to ensure minimum of 1.5 kg / cm pressure and 12,500 litre discharge of water / hour.
• The pH of the soil should be relatively 6-8 and EC of irrigation water may be less than 1.5 mmhos/cm

 Selection procedure

• Wide publicity about the programme through press meet, presentation at grievance day meet of the district and through the banners and hoardings.
• Call for applications from eligible farmers and farmers association (Form A: Annexure-I)
• Preliminary scrutiny of application by implementing departments to verify legal ownership.
• Land under tenancy should have a registered document as evident.

Selection Committee 
District level
The selection committee for each district shall consists of the following members:

            Joint Director of Agriculture                               : Chairman 
Scientist nominated by the university                 : Member   
Executive Engineer (Agrl.Engineering)                : Member  
Deputy Director (Agrl.Marketing)                        : Member 
Deputy Director of Horticulture                           : Convenor 

The committee shall examine the legal ownership of the farm land and or his authourised cultivator.  Before the selection, the committee shall ensure proper pumping system as given under 4.2. The copy of the selected beneficiary farmers list shall be sent to the DEE for monitoring and evaluation purpose by the JDA as and when the lists are finalized and approved by the committee. 

Bilateral agreement 
There should be a bilateral agreement between the beneficiary farmer and the PIA represented by the Heads of Stations and block level Assistant Director Agriculture, Assistant Director of Horticulture which indicates the role and responsibilities of both of them. (Annexure II)

How to apply
The farmer may make one application in the prescribed format and send to any one of the PIA of his choice.

Purchase procedure 
Installation of drip system

TNAU : The firms approved under TANHODA shall be adopted for installation of drip system.  The choice of the firm (from among the firms approved under TANHODA) is exclusively by the farmers.

 Departments : The firms approved under TANHODA shall be adopted for installation of drip system.  The choice of the firm (from among the firms approved under TANHODA) is exclusively by the farmers.

Awareness meetings may be organized by the PIAs for the benefit of the farmers on drip system and the firms at each cluster. The farmer shall install the drip system at his own initiative and pay to the firm directly deducting Rs. 40,000 (Rs forty thousand only towards subsidy) from the invoiced sum with in the stipulated period by the PIA.  The drip system should have all the components recommended by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Purchase of inputs 
Inputs like water soluble fertilizer, plant protection chemicals seeds and plants shall be purchased as per the approved rates of TANHOPE.  TANHOPE shall finalize the rates for the newer items, if any, among the category of inputs indicated above. 

If for any of the above category, TANHOPE rates are not available, KVK shall purchase as per norms of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University  and departments shall purchase following the department norms.

Establishment of Net house nursery  
Net house nursery of 300 m2 shall be established by the PIA as a common facility for each cluster at a cost of Rs. 1.00 lakh as per the design developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Annexure-IV) and handed over to the legally registered beneficiary farmers Association of such cluster. The structure erection will be as per the design enclosed in the Annexure. Every 20 farmers can register an association and become eligible for one such net house. The association shall hire 10 cents of land for this purpose and the future profit goes to the association.
The net house nursery structure will be established by the Estate Officer, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore for TNAU; State departments may follow their norms to establish the net house nursery.   

Crops

Agriculture	Sugarcane, cotton, sunflower, maize, pulses, oilseeds, coconut (For coconut preferably 10 year old gardens may be selected) and mulberry or for any special crop suited to the block.
Horticulture	Annuals like vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal plants and one year long season crops like banana, tapioca and turmeric and any special crop suited to the block.

Fertigation schedule for the crops 
The detailed fertigation schedule is given in the Annuxure V and trainings shall be organized to extension workers to have better understanding of the schedule and step by step procedure to compute for different sections of drip system with different population density.

Administration 
Farm records and record of input supply 
The farm record needs to be filled up every week and to be signed by either officers of the department (ADA/ADH or his nominee among the AOs or HOs) or SMS, KVK and not by the field consultants.

Release of inputs to beneficiary farmers

• To ensure synergy between the farm activity and supply of inputs in time (as and when farmers are ready for planting), it is advised to buy minimum quantity of water soluble fertilizer and plant protection chemicals immediately and keep them as nucleus stock so as to supply the inputs in time to the farmers synchronizing with farm operations.  

Drip and fertigation system

Department : ADA/ADH shall submit all these copies of the invoice to JDA for release of subsidy.  The Director of Extension Education shall authorize trained staff of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to check verify the system and JDA shall do the same by authorizing a trained staff of department to check verify the system and release the subsidy on satisfactory installation of the system.

f. The invoice / bill for drip and fertigation system should be from the approved firms only and not from the dealers

Recruitment of field consultants
TNAU shall place field consultants on contractual service as per TNAU norms and Joint Director / DDH may appoint field consultants by following department norms.
Such field Consultants shall be assigned with the responsibilities like assisting the farmers in carrying out all the field operations.  They are not authorized to sign any document related to supply of inputs.

 Bench Mark Survey & Measurables
The following are the measurables

Training the farmer at Project site
12,800 beneficiary farmers and all the extension functionaries are to be provided with hands on training on precision farming at Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri project site before July 2008.  Hence the resource farmers of the all cluster level registered associations and Dharmapuri Precision Farming Agro Services Ltd shall be involved in the training programme. Further the farmer to farmer mode of training has immediate impact.  The following are the associations and limited company who shall be involved in the training. 

Training shall be organized at Regional Research Station (RRS), Paiyur for the farmers from different districts as well as for the development functionaries jointly by the TNAU & Cluster level Associations and Agro Services Ltd., as given below.

01.  Adhiyaman Precision Farmer’s Association, Dharmapuri
02.  Thiruvalluvar Precision Farmer’s Association, Dharmapuri

Training schedule and budget

The training shall be for two days.  One day at Dharmapuri district (tropical crops) and one day at Krishnagiri district (sub-tropical crops) Budget for 40 trainees / batch

Sl.No.	Particulars	Budget in Rupees
01.	Accommodation at RRS Paiyur @ Rs.25 / per day x Rs.40.00	1000.00
02.	Food and refreshments@ Rs.100 per day x 2 days x 40	8000.00
03.	Rental charges for Hall and Public Address System	1000.00
04.	Transport for farmers / batch	8900.00
05.	Honorarium to resource scientists, training organizers and co-ordinators @ Rs.250/-	3000.00

06.	Honorarium to resource farmers @ Rs.250 / hour x 8 farmers	2000.00
07.	Course material and Field records @ Rs.140 per farmer x 40	5600.00
08.	Logistic support fee to Precision Farming Associations per batch	2000.00
09.	Logistic support  fee to Dharmapuri Precision Farmers Agro Services Ltd	2500.00
10.	Logistic support by RRS, Paiyur / KVK Dharmapuri which includes vehicle hire charges	4000.00
11.	Logistic support to DOEE including rental charges for NADP building at RRS Paiyur	2000.00
	Total	40000.00

Exposure visit

The exposure visit to markets shall be conducted by the staff of Directorate of Agri-Business and Marketing.

 General

 Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation of the programme implemented by three different agencies shall be monitored and evaluated by TNAU by the following mechanism:

Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation (Rs. in lakhs)

Sl.No.	Particulars	DOEE
A.	Monitoring and evaluation at training site RRS, Paiyur / KVK Dharmapuri pre and post training evaluation Retired Scientists or SRF’s@ Rs.12,000 HRA p.m	6.20
B. a.	Monitoring and Evaluation at focus districts @ one Retired Scientist or SRF / 1000 farmers 9000 farmers = 9 SRFs @ 12,000 /pm	14.00
b.	Monitoring and evaluation at 19 other districts @ one Retired Scientist or SRF / 1000 farmers = 3800 farmers= 4 Retired Scientists or SRF @ 12,900 x 12 months	6.20
c.	Printing of proforma for pre season during the season, post season and market visit and final report documentation	1.30
d.	Field sessions with farmers	6.70
e.	Vehicle hire charges and TA and DA	8.00
f.	Honorarium to PI @Rs.10000 and Rs.7000 for Co-PIs	2.00
f.	Logistic support & secretarial assistance at DOEE including Rental charges, sitting fee and Contractual Service Charges  for 2 Retired Scientist or  SRFs  @ Rs.12,000 p.m and 2 Data Entry Operator @Rs.5000PM	10.00
g.	Institutional charges @ 15%	9.60
	Total	64.00