Business of Agriculture March April 2019 Edition | Page 11

are suited for meeting sprinkler and drip systems
in farms where pressure can be controlled. Some
are fitted with chlorination technology designed for
improving the quality of water delivered through
the pump.
many days earlier. The 3D printing based designing
expedites the entire process from the design board
stage to production line.
The technology blueprint of these smart pumping
systems uses a combination of disruptive technologies.
Besides IoT, latest technologies like AI, VR/AR and 3D
printing are being used to innovate across the entire
length and breadth of production – right from the
design, manufacture and deployment, to remotely
monitoring and operating these systems; and lastly
to offering seamless and faster after-sales services. The agricultural industry is also adopting precision
technology to improve productivity. Among various
precision agricultural technology, drones are making a
very prominent mark. Data on precise crop health can
be monitored and recorded regularly using drones.
Farmers can immediately intervene, when required,
thus ensuring better production.
Knowledge-based software that is built on over a
century’s experience in water management is today
being used to come up with precise solutions for
the farmer specific to his farm’s location, farming
practices, availability, and quality of freshwater
resources.
The
agricultural
industry is
also adopting
precision
technology
to improve
productivity.
Among
various
precision
agricultural
technology,
drones are
making a very
prominent
mark How are the disruptive
technologies making a difference? Fortunately, for our farmers, technology is being used
to make the lowest life-cycle cost pumping systems,
which are more long-lasting, low-maintenance,
resilient, and hence cost-effective in the long run.
| March-April 2019 • Vol. V • Issue 2 11
Conclusion
Smart pumps automate and understand the specific
water requirement and thus save this critical resource
water. The IoT enabled pumps have given farmers full
control to operate the entire system from their mobile
phones – set the quantity of water to be pumped and
time of watering their fields, and also get a real-time
report of the critical health parameters of the pump
system. Heavy investments are being made by R&D efforts
today, particularly focused on the development
of such hi-tech yet cost and energy-efficient farm
solutions that are suitable and convenient for all. By
deploying smart pumps, the farmer is able to save
on a critical resource and reduce his cost on water
drastically. Without the need to be present 24x7
to monitor his watering systems also frees-up his
valuable time to attend to other important tasks like
buying or selling in mandis or in acquiring knowledge
for better farming practices and improving his yield.
Adaption of drone technology in agriculture is leading
to ease of the process of production and enhanced
productivity, both in terms of quality and quantity.
Servicing of the pumping systems is revolutionised
as well with the use of AR and VR technologies, the
farmer is now being guided and trained to service
his own pumps, irrespective of the model and the
make, sitting right on his field. 3D printing has also
made the pumps more efficient and cost-effective by
making the designing process faster and more precise.
Replacing a part now takes only hours compared to * Mr Alok Kirloskar, Non-Executive Director,
KBL, has done his Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration with a concentration in Finance from
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. He
has been associated with KBL since 2007. At present,
he is MD, SPP Pumps Limited, a subsidiary of KBL, and
is on the Boards of various other Kirloskar companies
in foreign countries.
Business of Agriculture