Aspect

Conventional Agriculture

Precision Agriculture

Input Application

Inputs (seeds, water, fertilizers, pesticides) applied uniformly across the field regardless of variability

Inputs applied site-specifically according to soil fertility, crop needs, and environmental conditions

Resource Use Efficiency

Often low, leading to wastage of water, fertilizers, and pesticides

Very high, as inputs are optimized to crop and soil requirements

Technology Use

Limited use of technology; largely manual or semi-mechanized

Extensive use of GPS, GIS, drones, sensors, variable rate technology, and automation

Yield Level

Yield may be variable and inconsistent due to over/under input application

Yield is optimized and consistent across the field

Environmental Impact

High risk of soil degradation, nutrient leaching, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions

Environmentally friendly with reduced pollution and improved soil health

Decision-Making

Based on farmer’s experience, intuition, and generalized recommendations

Data-driven decision-making using real-time monitoring and analytics

Labor Requirement

Higher manual labor requirement

Lower manual labor due to automation and mechanization

Cost of Production

May be high due to inefficient use of costly inputs

Reduced long-term cost through input optimization, though initial investment is high

Risk Management

Higher risk of crop failure due to lack of site-specific management

Better risk management with climate-smart practices and precise monitoring

Scalability

More suited for small-scale, low-investment farming

More effective in medium to large-scale, technology-adopted farms

Adoption Level

Widely practiced, especially in developing countries

Emerging, but rapidly expanding due to digital agriculture and ICT tools