Agriculture has never been a straightforward industry, but prevailing global trends have made it even more challenging. Climate change and reduced biodiversity are two significant factors affecting agriculture, both of which make traditional farming techniques gradually less effective.
A key challenge faced by farmers is the demand for higher-quality food. Consumers' tastes and expectations are constantly and these changing tastes and expectations are making it more difficult to satisfy the market with existing farming methods.
According to the United Nations Food and agricultural agency, it is estimated that by 2050, the world’s population will reach 9.7 billion which will require a global increase in agricultural production of 69%
As changing consumer expectations and environmental changes hit the sector, farmers need to adopt and learn how to incorporate new technology into farms for themselves and inspire the next generation of farmers.
The Agritech sector is considered as one of the areas with bigger growth potential within the Internet of Things (IoT) industry. Deploying IoT devices in farms capable of remotely sending data related to crops opens a whole new world of possibilities.
Smart farming is about using the new technologies which have emerged from the dawn of the “4th Industrial Revolution” in the areas of agriculture and livestock production to increase production, quantity, and quality, by making maximum use of resources and minimising the impact on the environment. It refers to managing farms using technologies like IoT, Robotics, Drones and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase the quantity and quality of products while optimizing the human labour required for production.
IoT technology has provided us with the ability to converge numerous technologies and by using IoT sensor technology to collect machine and environmental data, farmers have been able to make informed decisions and improve almost all farm operations. IoT in agriculture has provided the ability to automate farming techniques, optimise the utilisation of resources and minimise risk.
With farm labour becoming increasingly scarce (due mainly to urban migration and ageing populations), intensifying climate change altering growing conditions and the earth’s resources and biodiversity diminishing, farming smarter is increasingly becoming the only option to optimising and preserving human and natural resources.
Smart farming tools will help reduce the impacts of scarce labour pools, climate change and reducing resources whilst also minimising environmental constraints and reducing production costs.
IoT in agriculture enables farmers to
Irrigate & fertilise crops automatically
Manage livestock with data insights
Forecast weather
Optimise crop yield remotely
Monitor soil health & control weeds
Remotely manage assets
Monitor greenhouses in real time
Predictively analyse for crop sustainability
AGRICULTURE AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Among the technologies that are revolutionising the present, and that will define the future of agriculture, the most notable are:
IoT
The Internet of Things makes it possible to optimise the monitoring of farms, mainly through smart sensors capable of measuring everything from solar radiation to leaf moisture and stem diameter, or the temperature of each animal in the case of livestock, making it easier to make all sorts of management decisions.
Drones
Drones simplify supervision tasks for farms by being able to cover hundreds of acres in one flight, gathering, thanks to infrared technology, multispectral images and a wide variety of information about the condition of the land, irrigation needs, crop growth, the existence of pathogens, and, in the case of cattle, the number of animals, their weight and possible anomalies such as lameness or unusual movements. More recent purpose built drones are now being used to deliver the " Sowing" Process
Big data
The ability of big data to analyse massive amounts of data means that farmers can manage all the information obtained from drones, the Internet of Things and other measuring instruments and integrate it both with historical information for the farm and with weather data, to optimise all stages of the production process.
Blockchain
Blockchain makes it possible to monitor crops and cattle from growth until handover to suppliers, improving, for example, the traceability & transparency of the supply chain. By using this technology, if an imported vegetable poisons consumers the source of the outbreak can be easily traced and only the affected products withdrawn, instead of prohibiting imports of vegetables from the entire country of origin.
Artificial intelligence
In agriculture, artificial intelligence and robotisation are used mainly to interpret field images and apply fertilisers and pesticides with surgical precision, or for dealing with weeds. On a farm, for instance, it means that microphones can be used to identify squealing piglets that are being squashed by their mother, and a vibration can be sent to her through a sensor to make her get up.
The Benefits Of Smart Farming
The application of the above technologies provides a positive impact on agriculture and livestock farming based on the following:
Increased production: The optimisation of all the processes related to agriculture and livestock-rearing increases production rates.
Water saving: Weather forecasts and sensors that measure soil moisture mean watering crop only when its necessary and for the right length of time.
Better quality: Analysis of the quality of the produce obtained in relation to the strategies applied makes adjustments possible to increase subsequent production quality.
Reduced costs: Automation of sowing, treatment of livestock and harvesting in the case of agriculture reduces the use of resources.
Pest detection and animal health: Early detection of infestations in crops or sickness in animals means that their impact on production can be minimised and animal welfare improved.
Better sustainability: Saving on resources like water and getting maximum benefit from the land reduce the impact on the environment.
Comments