Five Emerging Innovations in Agriculture and Farming
Five Emerging Innovations in Agriculture and Farming
With the global population reaching 7.9 billion as of 2022, sustainable farming is taking centre stage in the agriculture technologies industry. More focus has been placed by governmental and international bodies to achieve “sustainable intensification” in agriculture. Creating more sustainable farming practices increasingly requires adopting new technologies that help with crop management, pest control, quality control, and integrated disease management.
These new technologies are important steps to allow current and future generations of farmers to grow without compromising the needs of the earth.
With one in seven people facing starvation on earth, there has been an ever-increasing pressure for farmers to maximize productivity. All while maintaining environmental and economic efficiency. Farmers often face a race against the clock with minimal hands-on deck to plant and harvest, especially with the volatility of recent unpredictable climates. It is with this that technology comes into play. A technological revolution has brought about new agricultural innovations that will change the landscape of farm and orchard management.
Here we explore just five of these emerging tools that can help today’s farmers achieve precision and increase productivity.
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1.??????Product?Testing?In-field?or?On-site
The farming practices of some crops such as Poppies, Tobacco, Cannabis and Hemp, are highly regulated and require strict lab testing and reporting. Many other crops benefit from monitoring moisture and contaminant levels throughout growth. As such, extra costs are incurred with the requirement of lengthy sampling and lab procedures. This creates a demand for innovations in in-field product testing technologies that can lower the cost, hassle, and wait time to get lab results.
2.??????Crop & Soil Monitoring & Management
Precision farming involves a lot of data collection and management. It can be tedious and prone to human error. FarmBeats is one of the innovators who has made a breakthrough in this field with the use of sensors, drones, satellites, and tractors. The technology works in real-time, which feeds it into a cloud-based model to render a detailed picture of how the farm is performing.
Other applications such as Agrocares can help farmers efficiently and affordably monitor and analyse soil fertility, such as its nutrients, feed, leaves, and insect contents. It produces reliable and fast data that can provide management recommendations to simplify the process flow of farming. Just like FarmBeats, the innovation utilizes cloud-based technology, which allows it to run in real-time.
Tools such as SGS can also help you to strategize a nutrient delivery plan that can increase crop yields, enhance environmental protection, and fine-tune precision. This is done through precise sampling, mapping, and testing with the help of GPS and GIS. Growers can now be in full control in understanding the soil’s macro and micronutrients, as well as its salinity, carbon content, and other factors so as to achieve optimal conditions when planting.
3.??????Automated Farm Equipment
Automated farming equipment such as a self-driven tractor or seeder solves the problem of both time-constraints and labour shortages.
Machines like these can work round the clock tirelessly to bring higher yields in a shorter time. They are perfect for orchard management as they allow farmers to work on more important things, such as strategizing an improvement in quality for their crops instead of focusing on menial and manual labour.
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4.??????Laser Scarecrows
Since the dawn of farming, the battle between farmers and birds has been a perpetual struggle. Pests like starlings, blackbirds, and crows can destroy up to 75% of crops within 48 hours of harvest, leading to a huge loss in revenue. Growers have tried everything in the name of pest control. From traditional scarecrows to propane cannons, none which have completely outsmarted the wit of nature.
Recently, a new deterrent to keep these birds away has been introduced. The laser scarecrow projects green laser lighting not visible by humans in the sun. They are effective due to birds’ sensitivity to the colour green. The automated laser darts across fields up to 250 metres and effectively startle birds enough to prevent them from destroying any crop. They are also less environmentally destructive and less labour-intensive compared to the use of netting.
There have been different variations of the laser technology, some of which come solar-powered, and with an auto-targeting system on birds. The technology has also been adopted by pest control companies who claim the device can prevent up to 90% of crop losses. It is a silent tactic that doesn’t disrupt neighbours. It is highly effective and to date, comes with a low chance of birds adapting to its scare tactics.
5.??????Vertical Farming
With the urbanization and industrial development of countries comes a loss of arable lands for farming. A third of arable land has already been lost over the last 40 years, and vertical farming might be the salvaging solution.
With the technique of growing crops in vertically stacked or inclined surfaces that can be integrated into other structures or buildings, vertical farming can produce more crops with less space. This can be the answer to meeting the increasing food demands of an ever-growing population, especially in cities. Farmers can also take advantage of greenhouse settings that can be integrated into vertical farming. This means the production of year-round seasonal crops without any effects from the climate.
These are just five examples of this thriving sector of innovation. We cannot overstate the importance of the agriculture, after all it is the primary industry that helps keep us alive, it feeds us!
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Thank you for sharing this, Arne!