BIG DATA IN AGRONOMY: TECHNOLOGIES, APPLICATIONS, BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES
Abstract
Big Data is becoming an important component of modern agronomy by enabling the integration, processing and analysis of large, diverse and continuously generated datasets for improved agricultural decision-making. Agricultural Big Data is generated from multiple sources, including remote sensing satellites, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, weather stations, farm machinery, field observations and historical databases. The integration of these data sources with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) enables the identification of spatial and temporal patterns that are difficult to detect using conventional approaches. Big Data applications in agronomy include climate and weather prediction, pest and disease management, soil health and nutrient management, irrigation scheduling, crop yield prediction, precision agriculture, crop insurance and weed management. Examples from India and other regions demonstrate the application of satellite imagery, UAV-based sensing, IoT systems, crop-growth models and machine-learning algorithms for field-scale and regional agricultural decision making. Big Data analytics can improve resource-use efficiency, support predictive and real-time monitoring, strengthen agricultural risk assessment and facilitate site-specific management. However, effective implementation is constrained by challenges such as high infrastructure and operational costs, data quality and interoperability issues, data privacy and ownership concerns, limited rural digital infrastructure, inadequate technical skills and increasing requirements for data storage and computing. Therefore, the effective integration of Big Data with agronomic knowledge and decision-support systems can contribute to more precise, efficient and sustainable agricultural production while addressing emerging challenges related to climate variability, resource scarcity and food security.