A wise farmer once said:
👉 Kheti mein fasal ugti nazar se, sirf paani aur khaad se nahi.
(Crops grow more from your attention than just water and manure).
This means that checking your field regularly is as important as sowing seeds or watering. Monitoring helps you spot problems early — pests, disease, water shortage — before they become big losses.
🌱 1. What is Crop Monitoring?
It means observing crops closely and regularly to check their health, growth, and soil condition. Just like a doctor checks a patient's symptoms, a farmer checks his plants' signs.
👀 2. What to Check While Monitoring
a) Plant Health
- Leaves: Are they green, yellow, or curled?
- Growth: Are plants tall and strong, or stunted?
- Flowers/Fruits: Are they forming on time?
b) Soil Moisture
Use the finger test: Insert your finger 2 inches into soil.
- Moist → no need to water.
- Dry → time to irrigate.
In fields, pick soil in hand and squeeze. If it crumbles, it's dry.
c) Pests & Diseases
Check under leaves for insects like aphids or caterpillars.
- Look for white patches (fungus) or black spots (disease).
- Watch for sticky leaves → sign of pest attack.
d) Weeds
Are unwanted plants growing faster than crops?
Remove before they flower and spread seeds.
e) Growth Stage
Are crops reaching flowering, fruiting, or harvest stage on time?
Delay often means poor nutrition or wrong watering.
⏰ 3. How Often to Monitor
Frequency depends on your setup:
- Home garden: 5–10 minutes daily is enough.
- Farmer's field: At least 2–3 times a week.
- Check after rains, irrigation, or strong winds.
🧑🌾 4. Benefits of Monitoring
Here's why regular monitoring is crucial:
- Early detection → easy and cheap solution.
- Reduces pest attack and crop loss.
- Helps decide when to water or add compost.
- Gives confidence — you know exactly how your crops are doing.
💡 Simple Tools for Monitoring
You Don't need fancy equipment:
- Notebook or mobile: Record changes.
- Moisture meter: Optional, but finger test works too.
- Hand lens: To check tiny insects on leaves.
✍️ Practical Exercise for You
Try this simple activity:
- Walk through your plants today.
- Check 3 things: leaf color, soil moisture, and pests under leaves.
- Note your observations in a notebook.
- Take one action: add compost if leaves are pale, water if soil is dry, or spray neem if pests are seen.
- 👉 Repeat this twice a week — soon you'll develop an eye for plant health.