Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research

Agriculture 5.0: AI-Enabled Smart Farming with Advanced Monitoring and Pest Management

Nilotpal Das — 2026-03-31

Agriculture 5.0 is a paradigm shift whereby modern technologies (robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are utilised to improve productivity, sustainability, and resiliency in various agricultural domains. This is an integrated solution that not only focuses on traditional crop production but also on horticulture, livestock, fisheries, and agroforestry systems, which allows management of a farm in an integrated manner. Integration of intelligent sensors, autonomous machines, and data-oriented decision support provides the possibility to monitor the state of soil, water, and weather in real-time, which will result in increased efficiency of resource utilisation. Also, AI-based imaging and machine learning algorithms make it possible to detect insect pests and plant diseases early and precisely to support precision-based interventions and mitigate the need to use chemical inputs. Climate-smart practices also include minimising environmental effects and protecting biodiversity, as well as improving adaptive capacity to climate variability, which are also promoted by Agriculture 5.0. The integration of digital technologies and connected platforms will guarantee the availability of data integration and predictive analytics, as well as informed decision-making on farm and regional levels. In addition, automation and robotics minimise labour reliance and enhance efficient and consistent operations in farms. Agriculture 5.0 can bring transformations in the current farming sector despite the hurdles associated with it, including the cost of initial investment, complications of data management, and the use of technical expertise. It is also bringing about the possibilities of sustainable, efficient, and resilient agricultural systems by combining technological innovation with ecological principles that will address the food security challenges of the world.

An Agronomic Review of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana): Adaptability, Nutritional Value and Importance for Sustainable Agriculture

Aditya Raturi — 2026-03-14

In nutritional security millets play an important role due to their high nutritional value, which emphasizes the importance of encouraging their production and use. For human societies millets have been a staple meal for centuries, particularly in Asia and Africa. Millets are reliable source of dietary energy, providing around 320–370 kcal/100 g of consumption. Finger millet grows easily in high altitude areas and is cultivated in the Himalayan regions up to an altitude of about 3,000 metres above sea level. Globally food insecurity remains a major challenge due to unfavourable and changing climatic conditions that limit crop productivity in many regions. Several staple crops are highly sensitive to abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, and poor soil fertility, which further threaten sustainable food production. In this context finger millet emerges as a climate resilient and nutritionally rich crop capable of thriving under marginal and stress prone environments. Ragi is a good source of bioactive compounds, dietary fiber and essential micronutrients with particularly good amount of calcium content compared to most other cereals. This review article examines the morphology, ecological adaptability, nutrition composition, health benefits, and food security potential of finger millet.

Effect of NPK Fertilizer Blends with Secondary and Micronutrients on Maize Growth and Yield in the Semi-deciduous Zone of Ghana

Judith Frimpong-Manso — 2026-03-25

Low soil productivity is one of the key challenges limiting maize yield in Ghana. This has resulted in a wide yield gap exists between farms and potential yields across most agroecological zones. Micronutrients and macronutrients have been proven to enhance crop performance in terms of growth and yield. The incorporation of micronutrients and macronutrients into fertilizer blends to increase maize productivity in the semideciduous forest zone of Ghana has received little attention. An experiment was conducted at the Central Agricultural Station of the Soil Research Institute, Kwadaso. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and the performance productivity of micronutrient (NPK) and macronutrient (B, Zn) inclusion in fertilizer formulation for maize production in a forest deciduous zone in Ghana. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with replications with 20 fertilizer treatments formulated from three new NPK fertilizer blends (viz. NPK 14:18:18+6S+1B, NPK 20:20:10+4S+2 MgO+0.6B+0. Zn, and NPK 15:20:10+9S+5MgO+0.6B+0.5Zn. These results were compared with the control (no fertilizer treatment). Two weeks after the first fertilizer application of NPK and S:Mg:B:Zn was applied, and six weeks after planting, urea was administered at the appropriate 30 N kg ha^-1 rate. The results showed statistically significant at a 5% probability level (p< 0.05). The treatments 150-90-90+30S+5B and 150-90-45+18S+9MgO+2.7B+2.25Zn yielded 4.2 t ha^-1 and 4.09 t ha^-1 respectively, whiles the control recorded 1.8 t ha^-1. The treatment improves the yield of maize by (133.33% and 127.22%) respectively compare to blanket fertilizer recommended rate at 1.8 t ha^-1. Although this study confirmed that fertilizer is necessary for the production of maize in the semideciduous forest zone of Ghana, it is also recommended that there is a need for integrated soil fertility management to boost the growth and yield of maize.