Smart Agriculture: Technology in Traditional Farming

Smart Agriculture: Technology in Traditional Farming

• JUNE 24, 2020

If you’ve ever imagined tractors without drivers and apps for farmers, then you’ve already seen a glimpse of smart agriculture.

Industry 4.0 has seen to it that nearly all aspects of our social and economic environments can be automated. Agriculture is the latest feather in the cap, with innovation and smart technology swooping in to enhance processes and sway the climate dilemma.

Smart agriculture or smart farming is a setup that uses technology to increase the quality and quantity of yield as well as improve farmer lives. It also focuses on preserving resources while creating a sustainable farming system that can continue to be the backbone of human civilisation as agriculture has all these years. So far, the 21st century has seen the advent and use of the following innovations:

Driverless Tractors

Think tractors that don’t have anyone in the cab but effectively spray, plough and reap on the command that’s what today’s driverless tractor technology looks like. Mahindra & Mahindra has revealed the first-ever autonomous tractor in India; several other countries with agriculture-based economies have also seen a surge in driverless tractors.

Drones

Drones have been employed on many occasions to disperse fertilisers more efficiently. Attached cameras and sensors enable remote monitoring of crops; seeding drones cover ground much faster than humans ever could when it comes to sowing. Robotic aerial labour, in general, has proven to be quite cost- and time-efficient in recent experiences.

Interconnected machinery

The Internet of Things (IoT) has permeated many aspects of our lives agriculture is one of them. IoT is used to connect physical machinery in any shape or form such that they form a seamless network. The primary benefit of IoT is the data it collects. This data can be aggregated across the farming floor to optimise labour and management. It can identify problem areas and ensure machines are in top conditions. Out on the farms, sensors can monitor light and humidity conditions to invoke changes in watering and fertilising.

The Benefits of Smart Agriculture

Technology has a lot to offer to the agricultural domain. It makes systems less dependent on manual labour, moving farmers higher up in the chain by automating labour-intensive processes. It also significantly reduces waste in water and fertiliser because it acts based on data rather than feelings. In the long run, the use of technology can increase the quality and quantity of yield, negating the chances of failed crops by a significant percentage.

Conclusion

Smart agriculture has immense potential that is yet to be tapped into. Future farmers may well look entirely different from farmers of the past; their farms and systems will be a lot more upgraded, too.

Children of today are the architects of tomorrow, and they have a huge role to play in creating meaningful systems and software for the Agri community. Start early and get familiar with relevant technology.

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