Information And Communication Technologies In Agriculture Research Articles

Factors Affecting Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agricultural Sector: A Case Study in Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam, India

In a country like India agriculture is the major economic players in economic aspects, which is the great source of revenue is more than 50% of the population of India. The country’s economic sector is based on the agricultural activities that play a significant role in the national development. Of late, ICT plays a significant role in the development of agriculture. It is widely acknowledged that improved information flow benefits both individual businesses and the agriculture industry. Nonetheless, gathering and sharing information is frequently expensive and challenging. By using information technology (IT), it is possible to lower the cost of information dissemination while simultaneously providing more information to all stakeholders involved in the agriculture industry. But the part of agriculture to the economy as well as the economic condition of the farmers is not what they should have been in this era of technology in a state like Assam. The aim of this study is to find the utilization in agricultural sector in the upper Brahmaputra valley Zone of Assam. This paper tries to discuss the factors affecting utilization of ICT tools in agriculture by using Binary Logistics Regression Model. Apart from higher level of education (.252) and size of land holding (.003), other factors like age (-.076), extension contact (-.282) and participation in media (-3.554) are found to be negatively influenced in the knowledge of ICT in agriculture among the farmers in the study area. Organzing awareness and training programme may help the farmers to utilize ICT in agricultural sector.

E-Agricultural for Better Yield

Abstract: The advent of newer technologies had led scientists and researchers to monitor and control agricultural activities remotely by the incorporation of information and communication technology (ICT). Modern information technologies have the impact to potentially increase the agricultural productivity by transferring knowledge and information to agricultural practitioners from the rural communities. Since the present generation have knowledge and easy access to smart mobile phones so the setup of control system installed in field can be monitored and controlled by new generation giving new dimensions to agriculture also known as smart agriculture. The agriculture is playing a major role in the economy of nation developing; therefore the need for upliftment in Agriculture is very important. Smart agriculture or e-Agriculture is a one of such concepts that is playing an important role in the enhancement of processes involved in Agriculture. The major role of ICT in Agriculture is its potentiality to aid a wide access to information that will support knowledge sharing and decision making. The usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture is growing day by day and more youth are attracted towards e-agriculture for their better earnings.

Utilization of Information and Communication Technologies among Rural Women and Youth in Agriculture in Abia State, Nigeria

The study assessed the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among rural women and youth in agriculture in Abia State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule by the researcher and other research assistants. Percentage, standard deviation, mean scores, pie-chart, factor analysis, and regression were used for data analysis and result presentation. Using the multistage sampling procedure, a sample size of one hundred and twenty respondents was purposefully selected. The study's findings showed that GSM, radio, and television were the main ICTs that women and youth in the state used to obtain agricultural information from extension and relevant stakeholders. The regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between the number of times extension agents visited and their level of ICT use in agriculture. Findings indicated that a greater percentage (40%) of respondents were high users of ICTs in agriculture. Respondents cited low literacy, a lack of extension conviction, and training as major constraints to their use of ICTs. The implication is that policymakers and relevant stakeholders in agriculture should prioritize the development of training programs and interventions that improve the technology literacy and human capacity building of rural women and youth in the state through the use of existing agricultural extension programs on the effective use of ICTs in obtaining agricultural information for increased productivity, income, standard of living, and agricultural development in the state.

Digital agricultural education in Hungary

With the advent of the digital era in the middle of the 20th century and the German government's introduction of Industry 4.0 in 2011, conventional industries shifted into an economy built on massive Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The ICTs such as big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile devices, artificial intelligence, 5G network, etc., are not only being used in a variety of businesses but also by an increasing number of people globally. There is no doubt that the use of digital technology in a variety of sectors has effectively increased productivity and decreased costs. Digital agriculture is one of the logical conclusions of Industry 4.0 growth. However, implementing ICT in agriculture may be severely hampered by the risks associated with digital agriculture. One of the main obstacles is unclear Digital Agricultural Education (DAE), a market gap formed by the explosive rise of digital agriculture but with little research. In this exploratory study, we used content analysis as a research methodology, aimed to comprehend Hungary's efforts in digital agriculture education and investigate the challenges by presenting practical examples.

Application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture: A Case of Women Farmers in Sri Lanka

Summary The role of women in the growth and development of agriculture in Sri Lanka has been increasing considerably. However, inadequate attention has been devoted to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) by Sri Lankan women farmers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the application of ICT in agriculture by women farmers in the Imbulpe Divisional Secretariat (DS) Division in Sri Lanka. The primary data used in the study were collected from a total of 230 women farmers in the study area from March to July 2019, using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire survey. Moreover, focus group discussions and participatory observations were also conducted. The results obtained indicate that the majority of the women farmers considered were middle-aged and married, belonging to families with 4-6 members. Most of them had received education up to a junior secondary level. Their monthly total average income was 24,000 LKR. The below mentioned ICT equipment were commonly used by the women farmers for agricultural purposes: television (51.5%), the radio (43.9%) and mobile phones (52.1%). The use of personal computers, the internet and CD/DVDs was at lower levels. Although they were found to use ICT mostly for day-to-day activities, the application of ICT in their agricultural activities was fairly low. However, most of them expressed the desire to learn about ICT. According to the regression analysis conducted, a positive and statistically significant relationship was established between the farm size and respondents’ ICT literacy. Furthermore, a positive and moderately significant relationship was found between the respondents’ educational level and ICT use. High initial costs and the lack of comprehensive knowledge about ICT equipment maintenance were the major challenges they had encountered. Admittedly, as the women farmers considered apply ICT to a certain level, their use of ICT in agriculture should be further enhanced. Therefore, supplying useful ICT equipment to Sri Lankan women farmers at concession prices, accompanied by an awareness program on the use and maintenance of such equipment, would be highly beneficial.

Role of Information and Communication Technology in Agricultural Development of India

The desired higher growth in the agricultural sector can be achieved only when there is proper application of information and communication technology (ICT) with adequate investments from both public and private sectors. There is a great scope to implement ICT in order to communicate and integrate the entire agri-food supply chain. The beneficiaries of ICT in agriculture are not only confined to farmers but also encompass food processing companies and suppliers within the agri-food sector. The tools of ICT applications have the potential to provide networking of agriculture sector within the country and globally. It is against this backdrop that the present study not only addresses issues relating to the applications of ICT for economic change in the agricultural sector of India but also identifies the past and present major ICT initiatives in agriculture, the factors responsible for the success of ICT services and the elements of an appropriate framework for assessing the impact of ICT on agricultural development. It is observed that the application of ICT solutions for the development of rural India have been opening a vast range of possibilities to a majority of the population living in rural settings to cross the digital divide. The e-governance strategy for the agriculture sector is capable of exhibiting strategic flexibility to simultaneously integrate the opposing forces. JEL Classification: D83, D85, Q13, Q16

Accessible places and purposes of uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among KVKs scientists of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

Now-a-days agricultural extension is facing a large quantity of innovations, discoveries and information in different fields of science, skills and agricultural technology and has got the latest findings from the resources of producing information and make it accessible for the users and for being successful in this important matters, it is necessary to have a powerful and effective informing system (Bassak Harouni et al., 2012). ICT in agriculture offers a wide range of solutions to some agricultural challenges. It is seen as an emerging field focusing on the improvement of agricultural and rural development through improved information and communication processes. The mission is to make cost effective ICT based systems. These technologies besides improving the accessibility of the information for the farmers makes it possible for the providers of the extensional services to compete in a better and healthier environment. ICTs can be used to increase effectiveness and efficiency of extension system. Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s (KVK) scientists are playing a proactive role in transferring new technology at field level with beneficial impacts. So, in this era of information revolution, the KVKs Scientists should be encouraged to use ICTs for different extension activities and field works. Hence, an attempt was made through a research study was undertaken for 304 scientists working in different KVKs in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, to find out the accessible places and purposes of uses of ICTs among KVKs Scientists. The findings of the study revealed that vast majority (80.20%) of the respondents have the accessibility of mobile phone at office and home followed by computer system (61.88%), Internet Services (51.98%) and other ICT tools, Similarly in case of purpose of use of ICT tools by KVK scientists, majority of the respondents (100%) were using ICT tools for Social media followed by, Report writing (100%), Hooked up web based information (99.51%), Data storage (99.01%), Presentations (98.52%), Information retrieval/ data updating, Typing (98.02%) and so on respectively.

An analysis of the policies of Information and Communication Technologies for Agriculture in Mali

To harness the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), developing countries need to develop national ICT policies that will serve as a framework for integrating ICTs at all levels of society. In the absence of that, different actors often engage in various actions for the same beneficiaries and in pursuit of the same objectives. That raises the need to define a national framework for the promotion and application of ICTs in the various production areas, particularly agricultural ones. It is for that reason that this study examined through qualitative methods (policy documents and semi-structured interviews) the national policy of Mali on the use of ICTs in agriculture. Data was analysed using the Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) method with the aid of NVIVO 12 software. The results showed that the country has two policy documents that articulate the country’s strategy towards the use of ICTs in the agricultural sector, that is, the Agricultural Orientation Law and the National Strategy for the Development of the Digital Economy. Further examination revealed that that these two policy documents are neither appropriate nor coherent in today's Malian landscape. This has resulted in an underutilisation of digital tools by agricultural extension officers which led to the low agricultural productivity in the country. This study recommended therefore the recasting of both documents to take into account the reported observations

Survey on Security Threats in Agricultural IoT and Smart Farming.

The agriculture sector has held a major role in human societies across the planet throughout history. The rapid evolution in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) strongly affects the structure and the procedures of modern agriculture. Despite the advantages gained from this evolution, there are several existing as well as emerging security threats that can severely impact the agricultural domain. The present paper provides an overview of the main existing and potential threats for agriculture. Initially, the paper presents an overview of the evolution of ICT solutions and how these may be utilized and affect the agriculture sector. It then conducts an extensive literature review on the use of ICT in agriculture, as well as on the associated emerging threats and vulnerabilities. The authors highlight the main ICT innovations, techniques, benefits, threats and mitigation measures by studying the literature on them and by providing a concise discussion on the possible impacts these could have on the agri-sector.

Use of Information and Communication Technology and Product Promotion

E-agriculture, i.e., Information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture enriches the agriculture and brings rural development. Due to this upbringing of information and communication technology, agricultural production has increased and also enhancing the market which indicates a complete change of makeover. Indian farming is revolutionized and all farmers including small landholders are benefited through the use of ICT in agriculture. ICT helps a lot to increase the demand for new perspectives in agricultural field. The present study was basically conducted in Jorhat district of Assam during the time of 2018 and data was collected from 40 farmers through a well structured questionnaire. The main mathematical or statistical tools that have been used in this study are percentages, Likert Scale and measurement of central tendency. The present study tries to analyse the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers which consider or use the information and communication technology in agriculture. This study also focuses on the farmer’s attitude towards using ICT in agriculture and also the frequency of using ICT in agriculture. In this study, it is obtained that there are highest 37.50 percent of farmers are small farmers with a land holding of 1-2 ha and highest 40 percent of farmers have 16 to 20 years of farming experience. From the analysis, it is also noticed that majority(4.68) of farmers strongly agree with the statement that ICT helps in community based planning by providing timely information regarding agricultural field which is followed by the concept of ICTs helpful for reducing the distance in Digital Divide or Technological gap(4.63). With some statements the farmers are strongly disagree or disagree such as ICT helps to exchange the opinion, knowledge, experience and also the assets(2.94) and by improving rural livelihoods ICT fill up the social segregation gap(2.15). Again it is observed that to gaining knowledge and information all 40 farmers are using mobile phones as ICT very frequently.

Application of ICT tools in food crops monitoring in Indonesia

Indonesian “Working Cabinet” 2014-2019 is placing more attention on agricultural sector, particularly self-sufficiency program for major food crops such as rice, corn/maize and soybean. The government has been planning to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by 2016, corn production by 2017 and soybean production by 2018. Indonesian government has also inspired to renewed enthusiasm to use new information and communication technologies (ICTs) for agricultural services. Driven by significant role of ICT, research institute, universities, and related associations have actively involved in ICT application in agriculture for recent years. The aim of the paper is to review/analyze role, potential and contribution of ICT in agriculture and to explore opportunities for use of IT in various fields of agricultural sector in Indonesia. The paper reviews and analyzes various ICT-based information dissemination models application in agriculture. In addition, success story of ICT applications in agriculture are presented i.e. Application of Standing Crop for Rice Monitoring, Modeling of maize self sufficiency in Indonesia, KATAM: Cropping Calendar, Android based Tani Hub Application, Pantau Harga: Android application for agricultural prices monitoring, SMS based cropping area monitoring, e-Rice consultation services version 1.0, and e-IRKB: Online based Indonesia Rice Knowledge Bank. The findings provide a useful direction for researcher and practitioners in developing future ICT based information dissemination systems. ICT tools ensuring farmers and increases their capacity to make effective and informed decisions.

Digital Learning: New Age Tools and the Changing Education Scenario, Trends and Challenges in India

Information and communication technologies ( ICTs) have a great role to change the existing traditional agricultural system in developing countries. Through application of ICTs in agriculture it is possible to; make efficient information dissemination, bring precision agriculture and increase market access of farmers. Currently, In developing countries majority of rural farmers’ have access to ICT tools, however, most of the farmers have no enough awareness on the significance role of ICTs for agricultural marketing and its subsequent impact on welfare improvement. Thus this review paper is designed to assess ICTs use in agricultural marketing in Africa. The result of this review paper signified that ICTs and agricultural marketing had positive association, in which through application of ICTs in agricu0ltural marketing it is possible to reduce transaction cost, disseminate updated market information and improve the rural farmers’ linkage to market. Moreover, ICTs have also the power to increase farm productivity, income and hence improve the food security status of farmers. Therefore, improving awareness of the rural communities and establishing agricultural information system at the country level is crucial to magnify the potential role of ICTs in agricultural marketing. Keywords : ICTs; Agricultural Marketing; Welfare DOI : 10.7176/IKM/9-10-02 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Developing a standardized tool for assessing the ICT competence of the agricultural extension personnel

Knowledge and information is the key ingredient for driving the engine socio-economic progress of an economy in the present century. Therefore, development in 21st century is driven by the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for collection, storage, processing, retrieval and dissemination of the agriculture information to farmers. ICTs offer means of facilitating two-way interaction in an easy, fast and reliable way between research-extension-farmer systems. In order to reap the potential benefits of ICTs in agriculture, development functionaries must be well competent in using all means of information and communications technologies for extension. Extension personnel’s competence in using ICTs for agriculture and allied activities benefit’s the individual, organizations and nation. Accordingly, the thrust of training for extensionists’ should be aligned towards designing competency-based ICT trainings. The preliminary step for planning a competency-based ICT training programme is assessment of the training gap i.e. difference between existing and required ICT competencies of extension personnel. Studies done earlier in this context are very diverse and focus on specific ICTs, rather than whole. This paper presents a set of standardized 45 statements for measuring the ICT competence of the extension personnel. A total of 118 statements were sent to 154 experts for relevancy testing through online Google form. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS software and MS Excel. With the use of outlier analysis, factor analysis and reliability analysis, ICT competence tool for extension personnel were finalized. The competency tool will contribute towards effective human resource development interventions for the extension personnel.

Factors influencing use of information and communication technologies among farmers in rural Punjab, Pakistan

This study explored the factors influencing the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) among farmers in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Punjab province is divided into three agro-ecological zones viz Northern, Central and Southern. In this study, one district from each zone was randomly selected. Total sample size comprises of 150 farmers. Farmers were interviewed using a self-administered interview schedule comprising of open and close-ended questions. Respondents’ access to ICTs was low level. Chi-square test revealed a significant association between the age of respondents and adoption of ICTs. Young respondents were leading users of ICTs in the study area. Size of landholding and income level of the respondents had a significant association with the frequency of use of ICTs in agriculture. Among various ICTs tools, mobile/cell phone attracted 47.3% of respondents to access agricultural information. Factors militating use of ICTs include; electricity/power issues (x=2.95/3.00), language barriers (x=2.93/3.00), limited knowledge and skills about ICTs (x=2.89/3.00), high cost (x=2.87/3.00) and limited availability of ICTs (x=2.85/3.00). Extent of ICTs use to access agricultural information can surge with the unit income level rise, enhanced access to ICTs and enhanced skill level to use ICTs. Keywords: Agriculture information, small landholders, ICTs, rural Punjab

Role of hub and spoke model for ICTs in agriculture

Small-holding farmers are in constant need of dynamic, timely, scientific information and knowledge on good agronomic practices, government entitlements, and market information, including access to early warnings, and application of new technologies, to better enhance their agricultural production. However, the inadequate proportion of agri-extension workers to farmers has left a void in providing timely agro advisories and inputs to support farming interventions. This has hindered farmers’ ability to take informed decisions for bettering their yields and income. The role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and its potential to bridge the knowledge, digital, and gender gaps in agriculture remained unexplored and such technologies were accessible only to the urban rich. In the 1990s, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, through an interdisciplinary dialogue on ‘Reaching the Unreached: Information Technology’ evolved the concept of using ICTs to link small farmers to need-based, demand-driven information. This information village transpired as a hub and spoke model of Village Resource and Knowledge Centres connecting the knowledge seekers (farmers) with knowledge holders (researchers, government institutions, and agriculture-based Non Governmental Organizations and progressive farmers) through land–lab, lab–land, land–land, lab–land communication. This paper reviews the evolution of this model, its results on the ground and contemporary relevance.

The Impact of ICT on Paddy Production: Study Focus on Zinardi Union, Palash Thana, Narsingdi District, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a riverine country where majority of the people lead their life depending on agriculture. With the advancements of ICT, throughout the world agricultural sector has been updated and developed. Bangladesh has already attempted to adopt ICT in agriculture and started getting benefits for the longer period of time. This paper aims at finding out the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on padday production. The study was conducted at Zinardi union, Palash Thana, Narsingdi District, Bangladesh. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) approach has been undertaken to test the data. Findings stated that ICT has significant impact on paddy cultivation in the selected union.

Information and Communication Technologies for Agricultural Knowledge Management in India

Agriculture is the mainstay of Indian economy. There are two faces of the agricultural knowledge management. At one end, the basic and scientific research generated huge database of agricultural knowledge, but it did not reach most of the farmers due to one or other reasons. On the other side, the farmers are also having their own knowledge database generated over the period of time, adopted biologically and socially. Hence, agriculture sector is suffering from low productivity. In this context, authors urge to have the integration of these two knowledge domains for its effective utilization and application. With the advent of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) based tools, the creation, storage and dissemination of this knowledge among various stakeholders is possible in a very short span. The present article explores the role of ICTs in agricultural knowledge management, its prospects and challenges for adoption of ICTs in Indian agriculture.

Increasing Knowledge Flows between the Agricultural Research and Advisory System in Italy: Combining Virtual and Non-virtual Interaction in Communities of Practice

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to analyse the use of Communities of Practice and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance knowledge sharing between researchers and advisors. The associated research question is to what extent ICT supported a virtual Community of Practice and has been effective in counteracting fragmentation between research and advisory systems in terms of knowledge sharing between these two pillars of the Italian Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS).Design/Methodology/approach: The paper uses a mixed methods approach: a questionnaire submitted to the Community of Practice participants on their experiences, observation of interaction between Community of Practice participants and data on the use of the ICT platform.Findings: The ICT supported Community of Practice approach appears to improve knowledge sharing between researchers and advisors, and also draws in other actors of the broader Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System in which the AKS is embedded. However, ICT based tools alone are not sufficient and need to be complemented with face-to-face (non-virtual) interactions. A clear theoretical implication of this study is that this is an iterative process in which virtual and non-virtual interaction mutually reinforce each other: ICT interaction spurs real life and face-to-face interaction, and ICT supports follow-up on real life face-to-face interaction.Practical Implications: Communities of Practice can be a useful tool for knowledge sharing between research and advisory systems, but should have a degree of flexibility in terms of the topics they address and should accommodate new members when appropriate. ICT is supportive, but should be complemented by real life meetings.Originality/Value: The paper connects recent frameworks of the use of Communities of Practice with literature on ICT in agriculture and adds insights on the contribution of combining virtual and non-virtual interaction in Communities of Practice aimed at knowledge sharing.

Streamlining life cycle inventory data generation in agriculture using traceability data and information and communication technologies – part I: concepts and technical basis

Quantitative environmental assessment methodologies such as life cycle assessment demand significant time and resource inputs during the data acquisition and life cycle inventory (LCI) phase. Approaches to streamline the LCI data collection process without degrading data quality are therefore required. This requirement is especially true for agricultural products, as agricultural systems are inherently 'open' and complex. We present a two-part paper on this topic. In this first part, we examine streamlined methods for LCI data collection in agriculture by using today's voluntary or compulsory farm traceability information systems and related information and communication technologies (ICTs), with the aim of later converting them into LCI data. The second part is to examine the application of these technologies in a case study. Our hypothesis is that both traceability data and ICTs could be major drivers for generating accurate, relevant and low-cost LCI data for use in quantitative environmental assessments of agricultural product performance. To that end, we identified the types of data being collected in agriculture as a part of current business practice, especially those with relevance to LCA studies. We also examined the status and current trends in ICTs in use in agriculture to identify the potential for automating LCI data generation. The review identified considerable potential to piggy-back current trends in ICTs in agriculture with the goal of simplifying LCI data collection. This study concludes that given the increasing need to collect traceability data in modern agriculture and the parallel growing adoption of information and communication technologies, it is likely that ICTs and associated information systems will represent an important potential route for the acquisition of future LCI data. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the Use of Information and Communication Technologies among Farmers in Tole District, South West Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Currently agricultural sector is the main sector of the economy in Ethiopia. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been changing the way that actors like researchers, development agents, policy makers, and farmers share agricultural information and knowledge. Particularly, farmers have started to use ICT to get agricultural information and knowledge, despite a number of challenges. Therefore, this study attempted to assess and analyze factors influencing the use of Information and Communication Technologies by farmers in Tole District of South West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. Data were collected (n=144) from 144 randomly selected respondents from Tole District, of which 69 were ICT user farmers and 75 of them were non users of ICT. The study deployed mixed methods research. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. Qualitative data were analyzed through interpretation, narration, and finally complement the descriptive analysis. The key finding of this study revealed that the social, economic and institutional factors were identified in study as factors in using ICT by farmers in the study area. The survey results revealed that age, sex, education status and distance from nearby market have influence on use of ICT in agricultural extension by farmers. The findings also revealed that Radio, Television, mobile phone, fixed phone, and written materials were easily accessed by majority of both users and non users of ICT. The study recommends concerned stakeholders and partners found at different levels should attempt to address those factors influencing the use of ICT among farmers. This study recommends that policymakers at different levels should recognize that farmers are using ICT in addition to traditional ICT like Radio and TV. Hence, this fact should be taken as an input for policy formation of ICT in agriculture and rural development in particular and for its usability among farmers.