The Innovations in Agriculture for Efficiency and Productivity

The Pressing Issue of Food Supply and the Importance of Sustainable Agricultural Practices

The most pressing issue in the world today is the food supply (food security). Over the past 35 years, food demand has increased more than twice as fast as population growth. According to a recent UN report, by 2050, food demand is expected to surge by 102% to feed the projected 9 billion people. This necessitates a 60% to 70% increase in agricultural technology to ensure sufficient raw materials for food, animal feed, and other uses.

To secure a sustainable future, everyone involved in the food sector must commit to adopting and enforcing practices that promote the use of modern and latest agricultural technology on a sustainable basis. Crop production must increase without depleting natural resources, and recycling, repurposing, or reusing resources whenever possible.

Global Adoption of Advanced Farm Technologies

Adopting advanced and sustainable farm technologies is crucial to meeting today's food needs while considering environmental, social, and economic sustainability—the three essential pillars of sustainable development. This article explores the latest technologies necessary for farmers in the rapidly changing agricultural landscape for their betterment and for contributing the best to the increasing global demand on a sustainable basis. The technologies mentioned in the article can also help address the ever-increasing agriculture challenges due to various uncertainties and erratic weather.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

GPS and GIS are widely used to enhance efficiency and production in farms. These technologies are integral to precision agriculture, adding a variety of tasks, such as field mapping, crop scouting, soil sampling, farm planning, and yield mapping. In low visibility conditions, GPS technology enables farmers to operate tractors and other equipment by providing tractor guidance in field circumstances, including rain, dust, fog, and darkness.

GPS-derived products are being utilized to improve farming operations. By gathering location data, GPS receivers map field boundaries, roadways, irrigation systems, and crop problem areas like weeds and disease. Farmers may make farm maps with exact acreage for agricultural regions, road locations, and distances between spots of interest with GPS precision.

Farmers may precisely manage their crops by using these sophisticated systems to apply the appropriate quantity of fertilizer, herbicides, and insecticides. Farmers can also watch for trouble spots where crops might suffer from disease, weeds, or nutrient deficiencies. Once they have gathered essential data about their land, farmers may accurately cross their fields and manage crops year after year using GPS technology. The accuracy of applying GIS and GPS technology results in a more ecologically friendly farm, more production, and lower costs for farmers.

Artificial Intelligence Irrigation Systems (AIRS)

AIRS determines the optimal amount of water required for a plant based on several interrelated factors, such as the type/species of plant, developmental stage, temperature, soil moisture content, soil type, and irrigation system. When combined with artificial intelligence (AI) models, automated irrigation systems eliminate human approximation error.

The basic feature of AIRS is that the plant will simply irrigate the farm when it needs water. Furthermore, several soil types may exist on the same piece of land. Each type of soil has varying water requirements. Manually irrigating these zones would be logistically impossible without over- or under-irrigating them. A "smart" AIRS irrigation system will regulate water flow according to the soil retention properties of different soil types to maintain optimal moisture levels. The system prevents overwatering by stopping the water flow when needed based on the data given by the sensor. Additionally, common issues such as nutrient leaching due to excessive soil moisture can be avoided thanks to this system. These smart-systems ensure efficient water use, enhancing crop health and yield.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones)

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly known as drones, have revolutionized agricultural practices by offering a wide range of applications for managing crops and livestock with precision and efficiency. Drones are now utilized by farmers to monitor plant growth, detect diseases, track field temperatures, and precisely apply pesticides or fertilizers where needed.

These UAVs operate in two primary ways: either controlled manually by operators using wireless remotes or autonomously navigating their routes through sophisticated sensor systems. Equipped with an array of recording devices, sensors, and navigation systems, drones capture valuable data and images of crop conditions to provide farmers with detailed insights.

The data collected by drones offer immediate and actionable information on a variety of metrics related to plant health, including chlorophyll levels, yield predictions, nitrogen content in wheat, plant counting, canopy cover mapping, plant height measurements, scouting reports, water ponding mapping, drainage mapping, weed pressure mapping, and stockpile measurements. This wealth of data enables farmers to make informed decisions and implement targeted agricultural practices.

In animal farming, drones play a crucial role in observing pastures and monitoring livestock movements on expansive ranches. Some drones are equipped with thermal cameras that can detect animals with elevated body temperatures, aiding in the early identification of sick animals. By providing farmers with valuable real-time data and insights, drones facilitate timely decision-making and enable proactive management of livestock and grazing areas.

Farm Management Software

Farmers often face the challenge of managing the complexities of their work, particularly on larger farms. However, with the advent of new agricultural technologies, there is a solution at hand - farm management software. This innovative software serves as a digital assistant, offering real-time data and insights to assist farmers in organizing and optimizing their daily tasks.

Farm management software enables farms to streamline their activities by centralizing essential functions such as procurement, supply chain management, financial operations, and processing tasks. This consolidation of operations into a single platform simplifies farm management and enhances efficiency. The technology is constantly evolving, especially with the increasing connectivity of devices to the internet.

According to forecasts by Mordor Intelligence, the farm management software market is projected to experience significant growth, with an estimated annual growth rate of 11.2% up to the year 2026. This growth trajectory underscores the increasing adoption of digital solutions in agriculture and highlights the potential benefits that farm management software can offer in optimizing farm operations and driving productivity.

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