It is no longer a secret that our planet’s population is growing faster, and so does the demand for food with it. According to a UN study, about 9.9% of the world’s population still goes hungry. With all the environmental changes and global warming, it is hard to predict what the future will bring. Although it is understandable that we will have less water, land and other resources to deal with. Which is why we need to use innovative technologies in agriculture. Modern agriculture is more dependent on innovation than ever before. Supply chains are facing numerous challenges, including rising costs of supplies, labor shortages, and changes in consumer preferences for transparency and sustainability. To be able to defeat the rising challenges, we have to find solutions. And innovative technologies can be helpful.
Top technologies to use in modern farming
The new tech-based approach in modern agriculture brings farming to a new level of development. It can help get better results with limited resources. Let us take a closer look at some of the best modern farming technologies.
- Indoor Vertical Farming
Vertical farming is the process of growing crops on top of each other instead of in traditional rows. It has the potential to increase crop yields, overcome limited land area, and even reduce the farming impact on the environment by cutting down the distance traveled in the supply chain. The ability to thrive in limited space is what makes this type of growing associated with the city and urban farming. The uniqueness of vertical farms is that some setups do not require soil for plants to grow. Most are hydroponic, where vegetables are grown in a nutrient-dense bowl of water, or aeroponic, where the plant roots are sprayed with water and nutrients. The water consumption of vertical farms is up to 70% less than traditional farms.
- Precision Agriculture
Precision agriculture is a farming management concept based on observation, measurement, and response to inter- and intra-field variability in crops. Farmers can maximize yields by controlling every variable of crop farming, such as moisture levels, pest stress, soil conditions, and microclimates, with new precision agriculture technologies. Precision agriculture provides more accurate techniques for planting and growing crops, which allows farmers to increase efficiency and manage costs.
- Farm Automation
Farm automation is a technology that improves efficiency and automates the crop or livestock production cycle. Companies are investing in robotics innovation in order to develop drones, autonomous tractors, robotic harvesters, and automatic watering and seeding robots. Changing consumer preferences and a rising global population are some of the issues that farm automation technology addresses.
- Artificial Intelligence
The use of artificial intelligence in farming could have a significant impact. Remote sensors, satellites, etc. can gather information 24 hours a day over an entire field. They can monitor plant health, soil condition, temperature, humidity, and other factors. These sensors can collect a lot of data, and advanced technology will help farmers understand the information better. A farmer would see it as an online game in a live casino, where he could interact with the host and other competitors, while also seeing a full analysis of the situation on the field and making the necessary and winning decisions. Data is processed by algorithms that adapt and learn based on the data received. The goal is to use this artificial intelligence to make better decisions in the field so that farmers can get a better harvest.
- Livestock Farming Technology
Farms that continue to upscale the size of their operations can now use smart technology to monitor individual animals more closely. New developments have made tracking and managing livestock much easier and more data-driven. Nutritional technologies, genetics, or digital technology can be used to improve the productivity, welfare, or management of animals and livestock. The use of sensors and data technologies can improve the productivity and welfare of livestock by detecting sick animals and intelligently recognizing room for improvement.
- Blockchain
Blockchain has a unique decentralized structure that ensures verified products and practices to create a market for premium products with transparency. This technology can be used to address urgent issues such as food fraud, safety recalls, supply chain inefficiency, and food traceability in the current food system. Root-cause analysis is the first step in tracking down the source of contamination when foodborne diseases threaten public health. There is no tolerance for uncertainty.
Blockchain can be used for more than just ensuring food safety. By establishing a ledger in the network and balancing market pricing, it adds value to the current market. The blockchain application for trades might change how traditional commodity trading and hedging works. Blockchain makes it possible to share verified transactions in the food supply chain with all participants, creating a marketplace with great transparency.
In conclusion
Sustainable farming is a hot topic today. The population is growing quickly, and land and water shortages are a big problem for humanity. The demand for food will grow. Innovations in agriculture technology provide the means of smarter, safer, and more productive farming, from advances in precision agriculture to farm automation, genetics, and water management technology. These new technologies can help us find the needed solutions.