Crop loss brought on by pest infestations concerns farmers all over the world. Without crop protection, yield losses from several important food crops can reach 70%. Animals or pests and pathogens account for the next two largest percentages of losses, at 30% and 17%, respectively. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), pests are responsible for 20-40% of global yield losses, which have a $290 billion economic impact on the world.
While pests are causing farmers to lose crops, they are under pressure to enhance food production to feed the expanding global population. By 2050, the world's population is expected to reach 9.7 billion, according to the United Nations (UN). Global food demand is anticipated to rise by 50% by 2050 because of population growth. Therefore, the yield per hectare must be increased to feed this burgeoning population
As a solution to the rising pest infestation issues, precision pest management solutions have emerged as a crucial technology for preventing pest-related damage and raising productivity in agriculture. However, first, one needs to understand what precision pest management (PPM) is.
What is precision pest management?
Precision pest management is the use of tools and techniques to track and eliminate pests, diseases, weeds, and other living things that either directly or indirectly interfere with agricultural production.
Enhancing crop quality while minimizing pest control's detrimental effects on resources such as soil, water, air, plants, and people or animals is the goal of precision pest management. Weeds, insects, and diseases are some of the agricultural pests.
To minimize the effects of pests on crops, precision pest control strategies use a variety of instruments, including variable rate technology (VRT), sensor-based spraying systems, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based spraying systems. Farmers may thus be better able to reduce crop losses and enhance the caliber of their output by taking the appropriate actions.
Moreover, governments across the world are actively promoting precision pest management because it increases production with a reduced impact on the environment. The growing awareness of technological advancements is driving the precision pest management market globally.
According to the BIS Research report, the global precision pest management market was valued at $1.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $4.39 billion by 2027, following a CAGR of 16.43% during 2022-27.
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Technology plays a crucial role in the curation of advanced solutions such as precision pest management. In this article, the top five technologies that are transforming pest management services for new farming techniques are discussed in detail.
Technologies Enabling Advanced Precision Pest Management Solutions
1. Global navigation satellite system (GNSS): Any satellite constellation that offers positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services globally or locally is referred to as GNSS. PPM procedures necessitate the deployment of advanced technology. Based on scouting reports, pest infestations should be mapped using GNSS. Future pest populations can be forecasted, and scouting actions can be documented by charting infestations through time. A few scouting tasks, such as grid sampling for nematodes, will be able to supplement improved pesticide administration technology. Additionally, to reduce the amount of pesticide used, GNSS technology must be combined with precision pest management techniques.
2. Precision spraying: The goal of precision spraying technology is to optimize production and outcomes by modifying the amount of crop protection material applied to each field individually. For better outcomes, it is important to consider all the factors associated with plant protection product applications, including plant type and area, crop height, leaf area, and plant volume.
Figure 1 Precision spraying trough drones
Farmers can upgrade their traditional sprayers to precision sprayers with intelligent tasks using precision spraying technology rather than purchasing new sprayers. The producers of sprayers also do not need to alter their sprayer designs.
This method not only cuts the cost of spraying but also lessens the chance that weeds may develop herbicide resistance. Global positioning system (GPS) mapping systems and weed identification sensors are frequently used in conjunction with precision spraying solutions to precisely map each field.
Traditional methods, such as farmers manually spraying their crops, might be time-consuming and inaccurate. Therefore, the farmers spray an estimated quantity of chemicals, such as insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, using cutting-edge technological solutions, such as robots and drones.
3. Remote sensing and imaging: Precision spraying heavily relies on imaging and remote sensing. While spraying sensors are installed on traditional sprayers or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In the 1980s, sensor-controlled spray systems were first created to reduce labor expenses and pesticide waste. Sensor sprayers can preserve resources by using fewer chemicals and less water while yet maintaining effective pest management.
Sensor-controlled spray systems are rekindling attention because of their improved dependability and expansion of available alternatives. Essentially, crop sensing devices serve as the sprayer's "eyes," creating and receiving signals to detect crop shape.
4. Geographic information system (GIS): The ideal instrument for organizing data on the kinds, distribution, and nature of pests is geographic information systems (GIS). The massive amounts of data that are stored about the type of pest offer opportunities for tracking and predictive research. This provides details about the location and timing of pest sightings. The prompt adoption of preventative measures is made possible by this essential knowledge.
Activities, such as the results of an aerial spraying campaign, can be tracked using GIS. To utilize GIS for pest control effectively, though, accurate information on the nature and location of the problem must first be obtained.
5. Variable rate application (VRA): VRA focuses on applying insecticides and herbicides precisely to a specific area. It is a technique for using agricultural inputs at the right places and at the right rates throughout a field. This technique is used to guarantee effectiveness, sustainability, and environmental safety when applying input in the fields.
One of the important traditional farming methods is the use of pesticides and herbicides. To match the present or prospective field pest stress, VRA changes the application rate. It also stops pesticides from being used in unnecessary places.
Conclusion
To reduce pest-related damage and boost productivity, precision pest management is crucial. With the assistance of crop monitoring, PPM aids in the early detection of pests so that they can be controlled to prevent future losses. Pest management services are significantly changing as a result of the introduction of more advanced technologies, as stated in the article.
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