The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
THE introduction and implementation of new systems for precision agriculture such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographical Information System (GIS) coordinates and Google Earth software is set to transform agriculture, enhance accuracy in field processes, improve debt recovery and curtail delinquent behaviour among farmers, officials have said.
GPS and GIS systems are now available on mobile phones and tablets being used by Agritex and private field officers.
Location data for farmers is collected by agronomists using GPS receivers for mapping field boundaries, roads, irrigation systems, and problem areas in crop and livestock diseases.
The accuracy of coordinates allows farmers to create farm maps with precise acreage for field areas and roads.
The systems come in variations that can also shoot pods with seeds and plant nutrients into the soil, assess the ground and spray adequate amount of water needed to achieve optimal growth.
It also allows them to navigate to specific locations in the field to collect soil samples or monitor crop and livestock condition.
Manicaland Provincial Agritex Officer, Mrs Philipa Rwambiwa said GPS-based applications are being used for farm planning, field mapping, soil sampling, crop scouting and yield mapping.
She said precise application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers reduces expenses, while increasing yields.
Adoption of these technologies has helped create a thriving, sustainable and modern agriculture value chain in Manicaland.
“The technology helps to monitor production at farm level, it shows whether one is producing or not. Some people are assisted with inputs, but do not use them to produce. Instead, they go and buy from other farmers and deliver to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). They will deliver, yet they are not farmers, so this technology will fish them out.
“Before being given inputs, you must submit your coordinates to verify the location and existence of the piece of land through Google Earth. Production can be tracked using this system, which is a sophisticated way of dealing with dubious farmers,” said Mrs Rwambiwa.
“If farmers supply wrong coordinates, it can be detected on the software. The Agritex Department has been digitalised, and the initiative is being used to block loopholes in inputs allocation,” she said.
Rural development expert, Professor Joseph Kamuzhanje said most challenges bedeviling the agriculture sector are a result of slow adoption of technology.
He said countries that have embraced technology have efficient agriculture systems.
“Agriculture should be done scientifically. It is a science involving rainfall, temperature, soil profiles, texture and acidity, etcetera; all these need a scientific opinion.The use of science and technology is therefore a key ingredient in farming.
“Agriculture is moving towards precision, and the days of generalising interventions and developing generic solutions are over. The use of satellites, GPS, GIS is now the new normal. With these technologies it is possible to isolate a problem and deal with it exclusively.
“If there is disease outbreak for either crops or livestock, there is need to identify the exact place of the outbreak. In the past, resources have been wasted due to blanket responses,” said Prof Kamuzhanje.
He said in some countries, drones are being used to supply inputs and carry out diagnostics for both crops and livestock.
Some are also using drones to analyse the capacity of their fields.
“The technology is completely dependent on accuracy and precision of location.
This can also help on debt recovery and dealing with delinquent behavior among farmers. You can also support farmers who are doing well by giving them targeted assistance.
“This technology is part of not only making agriculture scientific, but also precise.
“You can never arrive with precision agriculture, but can only start. Daily there are new advancements. We need to have the necessary infrastructure, from electricity, internet, mobile phone connectivity, good roads and a reliable transport system to make it work,” said Prof Kamuzhanje.
This will also help address issues of double allocation of land, multi-farm ownership and boundary disputes, he said.
Precision agriculture is all about collecting timely geospatial information on soil-plant-animal requirements and applying site-specific treatments to increase production and protect the environment.
