Five Technologies Reshaping the Agricultural Sector
Technology is currently having a revolutionary impact on agriculture. Farmers today have the ability to measure and monitor the soil, plants, and animals used in agriculture with a high degree of precision, accuracy, and efficiency. These technological advances are at the epicenter of a radical shift in modern agriculture. The agriculture industry is constantly changing and evolving, and farmers need to adapt to these changes to remain profitable.
The following are the top five technologies expected to contribute to the modern agriculture industry’s growth primarily. ‘ ‘
Internet of Things (IoT)
Agriculture is a vast industry, and to keep up with the demand, farmers need to supply large amounts of food year-round. For farmers to grow more plants quickly in their fields, IoT has proved beneficial because it allows users to access real-time information from their devices located in the field. IoT also enables the real-time monitoring of crops.
Sensor technology plays a crucial role in developing IoT solutions in agriculture. These intelligent devices are necessary to help measure various environmental factors, such as soil moisture and nutrients, weed density, and solar radiation, to achieve sustainable yields.
Blockchain
The agriculture and food industry suffers from needless paperwork that runs up costs. Blockchain technology will help to simplify record-keeping and keep large portions of data more secure.
By employing blockchain technology in the farming industry, one can keep track of things like inventory, business credit scores, food tracking, and many more things.
The number of individuals who understand blockchain continues to rise. However, substantial research and development activities are underway to develop blockchain technology, which is expected to increase retailers, food processors, and food distributors’ acceptability toward this new way of conducting business.
Electric Farm Tractors
The number of electric vehicles is increasing rapidly in the overall automobile marketplace. Agricultural equipment manufacturers are also following this trend by developing a new generation of tractors. Unlike the conventional diesel-powered tractors, the world now has tractors equipped with batteries.
The electric farm tractor technology is still in the developing phase. These tractors offer several benefits over conventional tractors, including better efficiency and enhanced productivity in the agricultural field. Increased research and development activities are undergoing to develop electric vehicle technology, which is anticipated to increase these ‘tractors’ battery life and efficiency.
The global electric farm tractor market is expected to be driven by increasing demand for agricultural digitization and automation and the rising need to release low emissions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As the future of agriculture is being molded with pressure from changing farm dynamics and economic factors, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is taking a significant step forward by helping farmers transform digitally.
Artificial intelligence technologies help farmers optimize their planning to generate profitable crop yields through data-based predictive analytics for input choices and farm process planning.
The global artificial intelligence in the agriculture market is expected to reach $6,655.1 million by 2026, with a CAGR of 30.56% during the forecast period 2021–2026. The rapid growth rate in the market comes from increased awareness of AI-based solutions in some regions of the world.
Indoor Farming
Indoor farming is a system of agriculture that allows for food production in any given location where the climate doesn’t allow for it naturally. It’s an alternative that creates a stable ecosystem by moderating water, temperature, soil, and nutrition so that the plants can thrive.
Although most common fruits and vegetables are best grown outdoors to maximize natural benefits like solar energy and wind power, particular species do better indoors. This is especially useful in countries where weather patterns ‘aren’t ideal or for companies who want to grow all year round. Also, when grown with proper planning, indoor agriculture can be more economical than conventional outdoor farming.
Indoor farming involves the integration of the latest technologies such as big data analytics, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) so that food can be produced to perfection without any agronomic constraints while using entirely non-conventional methods. Aquaponics, aeroponics, and hydroponics are alternative ways to grow plants using these cutting-edge technologies.
