Continuous developments in digital technology and analytics and cooperation between farmers and academics in the public and commercial sectors are driving modern agriculture.
These technical developments might help us reach food grain self-sufficiency by utilizing current agricultural technologies such as higher-quality seeds, appropriate irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. So, how can technology advance agriculture?
How Can Technological Advancements Propel Agricultural Practices?
In modern farming, innovation is more crucial than ever. The sector is confronted with significant issues, including growing supply prices, workforce shortages, and shifting customer desires for transparency and sustainability. Agriculture firms increasingly recognize the need for solutions to these everyday problems.
Fortunately, agriculture technology has seen a massive increase in investment over the previous ten years, with $6.7 billion in the last five years and $1.9 billion invested this year alone.
Indoor organic agriculture, advanced robotics, livestock technology, current greenhouse methods, precision farming, machine intelligence, and blockchain have all witnessed massive technological advancements.
Here are the topmost ways technology can enhance agriculture.
Farm Automation
Farm automation, sometimes known as “smart farming,” is a technology that improves farm efficiency by automating the crop or livestock production process. Drones, crewless tractors, autonomous threshers, automated watering, and seeding robots are all being developed by a growing number of firms.
Even though these technologies are still relatively new, a growing number of conventional agriculture enterprises are incorporating farm automation into their operations.
The advantages of automating conventional agricultural operations are enormous since they address concerns such as customer preferences, supply shortages, and farming’s ecological imprint.
Technology-Driven Livestock Farming
Livestock is a vital source of renewable natural resources that we rely on daily. Although it is undoubtedly the most important, the traditional livestock business is frequently disregarded and underserved. Livestock managers must keep correct financial records, monitor employees, and guarantee that animals are properly cared for and fed.
Livestock technology can help increase or improve animal and livestock efficiency, health, and administration. Nutritional technologies, genomics, digitalization, and other forms of technology can all be used to achieve this goal. In the last 8-10 years, technological discoveries have greatly improved the sector and made tracking livestock easier, and data driven.
Eco-friendly Modern Greenhouses
In the past few decades, the greenhouse sector has evolved from small-scale research and aesthetic institutions (such as botanic gardens) to much larger-scale facilities that directly compete with land-based traditional agricultural production. The worldwide greenhouse industry generates about $350 billion in vegetables yearly, with the United States accounting for less than 1%.
The industry has seen distinct patterns in the past few years as it has risen substantially. LED lighting and automatic monitoring systems are increasingly used in modern greenhouses to adjust the growth environment.
Precision Agriculture
Agriculture is changing, and innovation is becoming an increasingly important aspect of every working farm. Precision agriculture allows farmers to boost efficiency and minimize expenses by offering more precise strategies for planting and producing crops. Precision agriculture firms are developing technology that will allow farmers to optimize yields by managing every aspect of crop production, including humidity levels, insect stress, soil quality, and growing conditions.
Precision agricultural firms have discovered a significant growth potential. According to a recent estimate, the precision agriculture industry will grow to $43.4 billion by 2025. Quicker, more adaptable companies that systematically enhance agricultural yields attract a young crop of farmers.
