The pressure on the agriculture industry for higher productivity while maintaining sustainability has never been greater. Although the causes have been extensively addressed and are well documented, they serve as a reminder for immediate action.
First, as the world's population grows, so does the demand for food. Second, consumers' demands for a food supply that is produced sustainably and with ethically sourced ingredients are also rising.
Simultaneously, climate change is having an effect concurrently. Insects, weeds, diseases, and extreme weather pressures are all getting worse. All of these reduce each acre's productivity for growing food.
Therefore, farmers and agriculture industry experts are using new farming techniques with advanced technologies that address problems unique to farms and fields while also enhancing the sustainability of agriculture.
Till now, the world has witnessed three great revolutions in the agriculture industry. The first agricultural revolution was characterized by the emergence of modern farming, the second by the introduction of crop rotations during the industrial revolution, and the third by the discovery of synthetic fertilizers and the development of genetic breeding techniques, which increased farmland productivity.
The next revolution is believed to be the technological revolution in agriculture. To optimize output and meet shifting customer needs, the agricultural sector is boosting investment in enhancing farmland productivity. The predicted changes brought about by cutting-edge technology, particularly the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous robotics, define this revolution.
These technologies can be used to autonomously apply fertilizer, milk cattle, pick weeds, and harvest crops. These innovations aim to increase agricultural output by promoting more productive farming methods. A few of these technologies and innovations are discussed further in the article.
Key Technologies Leading the Next Agricultural Revolution
1. Variable rate technology: The variable rate technology (VRT) in agriculture focuses on the automated application of materials to specific terrain. Data gathered by sensors, maps, and the global positioning system (GPS) is used to inform how the materials are applied. These resources, which include things such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, all aid in maximizing agricultural yield.
Precision agriculture uses a variety of technological platforms in its variable rate applications. They range from drones and satellites to hyperspectral photography and artificial intelligence (AI). No matter which variable rate application technique is utilized, it is crucial to comprehend the fundamental application of this technology.
Technology such as VRT can be a major game-changer for crop yield optimization. Farmers may get more crops out of each acre of land while wasting fewer resources by utilizing VRT to apply the proper amount of fertilizers along with the optimal sowing rate.
Owing to the various benefits of the technology, the increasing demand for agricultural output, and decreasing labor force in the agriculture industry, the global variable rate technology market is expected to grow substantially.
According to the BIS Research report, the global variable rate technology market was valued at $2.02 billion in 2021, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.28% during the forecast period 2022-2027 to reach $6.09 billion by 2027.
2. Vertical farming: Vertical farms use soilless farming methods such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics to produce crops in vertically stacked layers (typically in a controlled environment).
Technologies such as big data analytics, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are used in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) to safeguard crops from unpredicted harmful elements such as pesticides and extreme weather and maximize the use of resources such as water, energy, space, money, and labor. These technologies aim to replace the soil with substitutes such as air or mist environments or water-based mineral fertilizer solutions in aqueous solvents.
Although vertical farming has numerous benefits, its current difficulties keep it in the experimental stage.
The crop production can be up to ten times more than that on conventional farms and is often expressed in thousands of pounds of product per acre of land. Crops that are grown indoors are also less susceptible to weather variations, which greatly lowers investment risk.
The production of vertical farms is greatly increased by both elements. Transportation expenses are also decreased from the standpoint of the entire supply chain because vertical farms are generally situated in urban areas.
Therefore, the global vertical farming market is anticipated to progress to a great extent since its initiation as a basic system to being an ideal solution for sustainable agriculture.
3. Soil and water sensors: Soil and water sensors may be the technology contributing most immediately to the technological revolution in agriculture. These sensors are cost-effective, dependable, and compact.
They offer several benefits and are inexpensive enough that even small farms might utilize them. Since these sensors can detect moisture and nitrogen levels, the farms might use this information to decide when to water and fertilize rather than according to a predetermined schedule. Water conservation, erosion management, and a decrease in the amount of fertilizer in surrounding rivers and lakes not only improve resource utilization but also save expenditures for the farm.
4. Satellite imaging on agricultural fields: Owing to developments in remote satellite imaging, it is now possible to photograph crops in agricultural fields in real time. This covers images with at least a 5-meter resolution, not just quick pictures from the air.
Farmers can digitally evaluate crops with the help of crop photography, just as if they were in front of them. Even a once-a-week photo inspection can save a farm a lot of time and money.
Additionally, this technology can be integrated with the crop, soil, and water sensors so that farmers are alerted and given pertinent satellite images when danger thresholds are reached.
5. Weather tracking: As satellite communications technology develops, automated weather modeling's efficacy is increasing. Farmers can access these services using mobile apps that work on almost any consumer smartphone as well as through specialized onboard and handheld agricultural devices. There are online weather resources that are only concerned with agriculture.
This method can provide farmers adequate advance notice of hail, frost, and other weather conditions so they can take precautions to protect the crops or, at the very least, drastically cut losses.
Conclusion
Technology is transforming almost every aspect of the urban world, and the agricultural sector is no different. Modern agricultural technology has made it easier, faster, and more affordable to get vegetables to the dinner table. Agriculture technology is expected to become more mechanized throughout the ensuing decades.
