Precision Agricultural Technologies for enhancing crop productivity: A way forward to sri lankan agriculture (INDEX NUMBER - UGC0625003)

 Presicion agriculture (PA) is an information-based production technology that manages spatial and temporal variability within a farming system to optimize its productivity and profitability while ensuring the sustainability of land resources.

The article identifies the core research problem as the gap between the technological advancements available globally and their limited application in Sri Lankan agriculture. The authors argue that overdependence on conventional methods and lack of digital transformation have hindered productivity growth. There are mainly 3 main objectives of the study.The first one is  review the global landscape of PATs the second one is assess their applicability in Sri Lanka, and the third one is propose strategies for future adoption.

Today, several sophisticated technologies such as robotics,wireless sensor networks(WSN),aerial images,a global positioning system (GPS),global navigation satellite system(GNSS),smart mobile devices,internet of things(IoT),variable rate application(VRA),weather modelling,radio-frequency identification (RFI) are greeted with  PA at a global scale.An exponentially increasing trend in adoption can be seen in developed countries such as the USA,Canada,Australia and European countries but to a limited extent in some developing countries.Land laser levelling,real-time variable-rate fertilizer and pesticide application,mechanical harvesting and low cost IoT based crop management systems for protected agriculture are the most promising PATs that have great potential to still developing countries like Sri Lanka.

Precision agriculture(PA) implies accuracy and exactness in any aspect of agricultural production and is one of the modern approaches in farm management using information technology.Although PA has only been adopted commercially since the 1990s and it is one of the top ten uprisings in agriculture in the early 21st century. Most of these new technological applications have orginated in developed countries and target large scale applications requiring greater financial investments.

The strength of this study lies in its comprehensiveness and relevance. It does an excellent job of connecting global innovations with Sri Lanka’s local realities, offering both technical and socio-economic perspectives. The review effectively highlights how precision agriculture can serve as a bridge between sustainability and modernization. The authors successfully argue that smart farming is not just about expensive machines but about making data-driven decisions that suit each farm’s unique conditions.

PA has three main goals according to global agricultural studies.The first one is optimizing the utilization of available resources to increase the profitability and maintain the sustainability of agricultural practices,the second one is to mitigate the negative effect on the environment and the third one is to improve the social aspect of farming and the quality of the work.

However, the paper has several limitations. It is purely conceptual and lacks empirical data or field-based analysis to validate the proposed benefits of PATs in Sri Lankan conditions. There are no case studies or statistical comparisons to show measurable outcomes such as yield improvements or cost savings. Additionally, while the recommendations are insightful, they remain broad and policy-level, without a clear step-by-step roadmap for implementing PATs on the ground. The article also could have examined the economic feasibility of each technology more critically, especially for resource-poor farmers.

Generally,PA requires massive data and information collection to efficiently use agriculture inputs via processing data in time and space,leading to enhanced crop production and environmental quality.Based on the synthesis of available literature,there are four basic steps of PA and the technologies associated with each step are used to elaborate the general process of PA.The process commences with the collection of data(for example climate amount of biomass,the geometry of crop,vigour soil characters,etc).After collecting data we make information using them and from those extracted information is integrated with experience and knowledge to make precise decisions.Finally,precise decisions are converted to the proper management practices. 

Overall,this paper present a timely and forward-looking exploration of how Precision Agriculture can reshape Sri Lanka’s farming landscape. The article demonstrates that technology can serve as a practical solution for increasing productivity, managing resources efficiently, and enhancing environmental sustainability. While the study’s reliance on secondary data limits its empirical weight, it succeeds in offering a clear vision for agricultural modernization.

To move from theory to practice, Sri Lanka must invest in training programs, digital infrastructure, and farmer awareness initiatives. Policies should support affordable, scalable technologies that suit smallholders. Universities, government agencies, and private tech companies should collaborate to pilot PAT projects in key crop sectors such as paddy, tea, and vegetables.

Author,

R.P.W.A. Dilrukshi,M.H.S.M.Hettiarachchi,S.Srikumar,E.D.C.T.Chandrasekara