What is Precision agriculture?
Managing each field, and each part of a field, by what it needs
Farming that treats each field by its own observations instead of treating every field the same. Satellites, weather data or field measurements decide when and where to irrigate, inspect and apply inputs.
How it works
The core idea is variability: parts of a field differ in soil, water and crop growth. Precision agriculture observes those differences and acts on them.
In large-farm countries it often means tractors and machinery. For Indian smallholders, free satellite imagery, weather forecasts and a phone make the observation step affordable.
Why it matters for Indian farmers
Most Indian farm decisions are made by calendar or habit because nobody looks at each field every week. Even simple, timely information about a field (it is drying out, it is waterlogged, the forecast is dry) can change when a farmer irrigates or inspects.
How VarshaKrishi uses it
VarshaKrishi is precision agriculture for a smallholder's phone: one WhatsApp message a week about the farmer's own field, in their language, built from Sentinel-2, Sentinel-1, NASA HLS and the weather.
Questions about Precision agriculture
Is precision agriculture only for large farms?
No. Satellite data is free and covers every field, so a smallholder with WhatsApp can benefit without buying equipment.
Do I need sensors in my field?
No. Satellite and weather monitoring needs nothing installed in the field. Soil sensors are useful for research plots and some high-value crops, but they are not required.