In recent years, the agriculture sector adopted digital technologies for efficient agri-produce.
The digitalization of agriculture provides enormous benefits to farmers. It helps reduce water, nutrients, and fertilizers usage and decreases negative effects on the surrounding ecology. Reduced chemical runoff into local groundwater and rivers, improved efficiency, and lower just a few of the other advantages.
The global digital agriculture marketplace market was valued at $10.00 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.0 % from 2021 to 2026, reaching $22.88 billion in 2026.
Let's take a look at a few technology innovations that are contributing to the enhancement in agriculture production.
Geographic information software is a valuable tool in precision farming. Farmers can track current and prospective changes in precipitation, temperature, crop yields, plant health, and other variables via GIS software.
It allows farmers to employ GPS-based treatments with smart machinery to optimize fertilizer and pesticide application by helping them identify and treat the focal regions. This way, farmers may save money, time, and effort.
Another significant advantage of GIS-based agriculture practices applied by using satellites and drones is the easy gathering of vital data on plants, soil conditions, vegetation, weather, and terrain. This helps farmers make accurate decisions for required interventions.
Predicting yields and doing near-real-time field monitoring to detect a variety of dangers has never been easier, thanks to satellite data.
The sensors can produce imagery in a variety of spectrums, using spectral indices. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) method can be used to determine the amount of vegetation, the number of wilting plants, and overall plant health. The canopy chlorophyll content index is a novel instrument for determining fertilizer application rates. The normalized difference RedEdge (NDRE) is then used to determine the nitrogen content.
Finally, the modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI) is designed to lessen the impact of soil background on plant development is at the earliest stages.
Drones can be used by farmers to accurately measure crop biomass, weed presence, water saturation, and plant height-specific field sections. They give faster and more accurate data at higher resolutions than satellites. Drones help sprinkle pesticides on the infested regions reducing the risk of exposure to chemicals from full contact.
Agriculture automation and robots, often known as Agribots, are beginning to gain traction among farmers in response to rising demand and labor shortages worldwide.
Agribots have become more prominent because of recent advances in sensor and artificial intelligence technology. The agricultural robotics revolution is in the initial stages, with numerous technologies still in the trial and development stage.
Semi-automated robots with arms can spot weeds and spray pesticides on the damaged plants, saving time and money. Harvesting and lifting are two further applications for these robots. Heavy farming vehicles operated by agribots can also be navigated via phone displays to complete tasks, and their movements can be tracked using GPS all the time.
Farm management software enables the farmer to arrange day-to-day operations strategically. It also improves the efficiency and organization of work done on the ground.
The farmer learns how to use technologies that consolidate all of his fieldwork and paperwork into a single window of management, making it easier than ever to gain a bird's eye view of his farm.
Farm management software, in particular, allows for the gathering, processing, storage, and dissemination of data in the form of information that aids in the farm's operations. This information can be linked to things like land use, inputs, and product prices, among other things.
Farmers can use individual records and monetary production data to analyze and make decisions that maximize operational efficiency.
Soil and water sensors are long-lasting, dependable, and reasonably priced. Even small family farms find it cost-effective to spread them across their property, and they have various advantages.
These sensors, for example, can monitor moisture and nitrogen levels, and the farm can use this information instead of relying on a predetermined timetable to determine when to water and fertilize.
These sensors not only save money but also help the farm to be more environment-friendly. It makes better use of resources by conserving water, controlling erosion, and lowering fertilizer levels in nearby rivers and lakes.
These sensors can provide data linked to agricultural yields. A bag of potatoes might contain a barcode that one can scan with smartphones to get information about its production.
Agritech is rapidly progressing, providing significant assistance to farmers. It brings their efforts to fruition by optimizing inputs, simplifying farm management, and boosting output.