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Discover how smart farming is transforming the agriculture sector using advanced technologies like IoT, satellites, and autonomous robots.
Over the years, the world has witnessed various technological advancements which have led to tremendous development in different areas of human life, including the agriculture sector. The digital age which allows the spread of internet and mobile devices has proven helpful not only for large industries but also resourceful for agribusiness owners/farmers. Currently undergoing its fourth revolution, agriculture has been made much easier than ever before with the increasing use of technologies in what is known as smart agriculture.
Smart agriculture, also known as precision farming, focuses on leveraging advanced technology (big data, the cloud and the internet of things IoT, satellites, autonomous robots, sensors) for tracking, automating, monitoring, and analyzing agricultural operations. The use of these advanced technologies have continued to reduce the workload of farmers, boost production volumes, and even make agribusiness more cost-effective. Due to its growing importance and value, smart agriculture has become the heart of innovation in many developing countries to improve their economy.
If there's any sector that has been mostly affected by the effects of climate change, it is agriculture. Variations of heatwave, alternating dry periods, floods, and other climatic conditions limit the natural productivity of the soil, thereby causing a major damage to crop yield. According to a study in 2020, about 690 million people are hungry, up by almost 60 million in 5 years. Meanwhile, this food security challenge will only become more difficult as the world needs to produce more food by 2050 to feed an estimated 9 billion people. It is a serious problem that begs only one question: how do we solve it?
In 2022, about 15% of farmers across the globe employ the use of smart agriculture. Although this is very low as compared to the risk of food insecurity the world needs to fight, farmers continue to show positive perception and readiness for smart agriculture. Why smart agriculture exactly?
Smart farming helps attain easy food production in climate change scenarios. In case of extreme weather conditions, you can easily grow fruits or vegetables using a nutrient solution that contains minerals instead of soil or breed crop varieties that are drought-resistant and disease-resistant.
Weeds and pests are a serious threat to crops, but the adoption of smart agriculture can help manage and control crop diseases. Strategies like Integrated Crop Management (ICM), depending less on synthetic inputs for fertilization, and less on fossil fuel-based machinery can serve as a better way to tackle low crop yield due to pests and pathogens.
With the use of smart devices, farmers can target anomalies in crop health and easily eliminate the risk of losses in yields. Automated services on the crops can help control the production process.
Application inputs such as fertilizers or pesticides can reduce leaching problems and emissions of greenhouse gases. The use of sensor networks permits continuous monitoring of the farm to determine any potential threat.
The good quality of products that results from smart farming boosts consumer acceptance. These products are often healthier and sell at higher rates.
Smart agriculture centers on managing the supply of land and focusing on the right growing parameters in order to ensure production for the right product that is in demand. Technologies like GPS, remote sensing, and drones allow farmers to gather appropriate data about soil conditions, crop health, and weather.
The essence of smart farming is one that cannot be underemphasized. It provides farmers/growers with a wide range of advantages that have improved the agriculture sector over time. Some of these benefits include;
There is no smart farming without accuracy or precision. As a matter of fact, those two concepts coexist to deliver the right idea behind the development of smart agriculture. As compared to the traditional methods of farming, smart agriculture beats all the odds due to its use of smart devices that accelerate productivity.
Another benefit of smart farming is its ability to increase work efficiency and save valuable time. The software auto-guidance system in self-steering tractors helps to navigate the tractors automatically along waylines which reduces the time and effort spent on the plants.
The use of technology and data-driven practices in smart agriculture can improve fuel efficiency, help farmers reduce costs, and minimize their environmental impact. Remote monitoring of farm inputs enables operators to adjust or shut down machinery when needed, thereby reducing unnecessary fuel usage.
Smart farming can aid the process of reducing under or over-application of sprays known as consumables. Technologies like Section control can automatically switch off sections of the sprayer as the tractor where required.
Unlike traditional methods, smart farming reduces the workload of farmers. Autonomous robotics such as the robotic harvesters and weeding machines can easily perform the tasks that previously required manual labour. Also, with smart devices, farmers can remotely control and monitor equipment and processes on the farms.
For many years, pests and poor soil fertility used to pose a serious threat to crop yields. But recently, the use of new technologies have helped in overcoming these challenges. Modern techniques of farming such as crop scouting, irrigation, and remote monitoring often optimize farm activities.
Sensors, geofencing location tracking, and machines are some of the smart devices that can be used to detect health problems or reproduction in animals earlier. These technologies help to improve management and control of livestock farming.
Maintaining straight lines while controlling implements is one of the things that tractor drivers often encounter. Whereas, an auto-guidance system in smart agriculture can easily maintain a straight course while freeing up the driver to focus on farm implements and the task at hand.
Equally, smart farming implements are made easy to use in such a way it reduces the stress of drivers on the farms. These implements use ISOBUS connection which means any implement can be connected to the tractor with 'plug and play' ease of use.
Smart agriculture allows for easier recording and reporting of tasks completed on a farm. With the use of automated devices like FMIS (Farm Management Information System), data about the work done can be automatically collected, recorded, kept accurate, and transferred wirelessly.
Smart telemetry systems make it possible for farmers to send diagnostic data to service partners to plan maintenance needs in advance. FMIS software also ensures the possibility of seeing how long tasks take, the cost of fuel and inputs needed, and cost plans.
To improve agriculture sustainability is one of the most paramount benefits of smart agriculture. From weather predictions to auto-guidance systems, smart farming continues to prove worthwhile and necessary in the agriculture sector.
The foundation of smart agriculture relies solely on the use of technologies. It includes various tools and technologies that help agribusiness owners optimize agricultural activities. Some of the most effective and convenient smart farming inputs or implements consist the following:
The smart farming sensors help farmers to achieve what is known as remote monitoring. These sensitive sensors monitor the slightest changes in the state of crops and fields in real time. They also engage in soil scanning and management of water, light, temperature, and humidity.
Advanced networking is an integral part of smart farming as it provides the connectivity and data transfer capabilities necessary for real-time monitoring, data analysis, and general decision making in agriculture. Data collected from these devices can help monitor the health of crops and behaviour of animals, thereby leading to better care and higher crop yields.
GPS plays a vital role in smart agriculture by providing precise and accurate information about locations and enabling efficient agricultural practices. It allows farmers to create accurate detailed maps of their fields—topography, soil variations—and ensures farming equipment follows optimal paths.
As already maintained, data collection is a crucial part of smart farming as the quantity of data available for crop yields, climate change, soil mapping, fertilizer applications, livestock, and machinery continues to change. Data analytics tools in smart farming allow you to make long-term decisions and take action at the moment.
Satellites and drones help growers create updated maps to monitor the territory remotely on a regular basis. Whatever data gathered from these satellites are transferred to IT systems for tracking and analysis.
Despite the use of advanced technologies and numerous benefits of smart farming, farmers still encounter problems in the course of it. Let's explore some of these major challenges:
This is one of the most significant challenges in smart farming owing to the diversity of devices, systems, and technologies used in this field. Different technology providers or manufacturers may use their own proprietary standards, making integration of these devices difficult.
One of the problems farmers often complain about smart agriculture is the steep learning curve the concept requires. Smart farming is broadly divided into four parts; data acquisition, interpretation, analysis, and control. For the average farmer, setting up IoT architecture and field monitoring systems in their fields as well as analysis and control can be difficult and demanding.
Having access to an uninterrupted and strong connection has become a serious challenge to many farmers, especially those in rural areas. A lack of good connectivity and poor network will limit the adoption of digital technology and slow down the rise of smart farming.
Data collection and analysis play a crucial role in smart agriculture. There's a constant need for farmers to always keep record of data in order to make essential decisions. However, data management has become a growing challenge for many farmers as it is nearly impossible to monitor a lot of data points every day or weekly.
The modern systems applied in smart farming require knowing about the features of their operation and maintenance. A lot of farmers don't fully understand how to work effectively with these technologies.
The need to define the right size and number of management zones that aligns with the natural variability in a field poses a constraint to farming operations. It often requires expert knowledge and trial-and-error experimentation to refine the zones.
This is an obstacle that makes it difficult for new or emerging companies to establish themselves in smart farming. New agricultural firms struggle to secure the appropriate capital to obtain the various technologies necessary for effective smart farming.
There's a growing number of different systems, devices, and software solutions day by day, but to integrate these technologies across various farming operations can be very challenging. It mostly requires the service of specialized expertise. And this complexity hinders the scalability of smart farming practices.
As smart farming relies on different energy- intensive technologies (sensors, autonomous robotics, irrigation systems etc), the need for a reliable and sustainable energy source to power these technologies is an ongoing challenge. Many farms located in rural areas have limited access to reliable grid-based electricity supply.
Although setting up an indoor farm with controlled environments, artificial lighting, ventilation, and climate control systems is progressive, the process requires a substantial initial investment. From the high energy consumption to the cost of acquiring such technology, it can pose a great barrier to entry for many farmers.
Although there are some challenges surrounding the concept of smart farming, it still stands as the future for all agricultural production. Modern technologies can provide farmers with extensive control, monitoring, planning, and exploration capabilities. Smart farming allows agribusiness owners/farmers to arrange effective production management, meeting the growing demands of consumers, and also creating an eco-friendly environment.
IoT-driven devices including agricultural machinery can be used to manage the standard farming situations. The ICT used in smart farming also enables farmers to exchange information, establish cooperation, and peer review and even develop informal information systems that may complement the formal information system of controlling authorities. This flow of information among farmers, and between farmers and consumers, would be scale-independent without any restrictions.
Modern satellites and drones can contribute significantly to optimizing agricultural operations and even become a key role in making production decisions, thereby leading to higher crop yields. The spread of smart farming grows on a regular basis with development of technology.
December 4, 2023
Over the years, the world has witnessed various technological advancements which have led to tremendous development in different areas of human life, including the agriculture sector. The digital age which allows the spread of internet and mobile devices has proven helpful not only for large industries but also resourceful for agribusiness owners/farmers. Currently undergoing its fourth revolution, agriculture has been made much easier than ever before with the increasing use of technologies in what is known as smart agriculture.
Smart agriculture, also known as precision farming, focuses on leveraging advanced technology (big data, the cloud and the internet of things IoT, satellites, autonomous robots, sensors) for tracking, automating, monitoring, and analyzing agricultural operations. The use of these advanced technologies have continued to reduce the workload of farmers, boost production volumes, and even make agribusiness more cost-effective. Due to its growing importance and value, smart agriculture has become the heart of innovation in many developing countries to improve their economy.
If there's any sector that has been mostly affected by the effects of climate change, it is agriculture. Variations of heatwave, alternating dry periods, floods, and other climatic conditions limit the natural productivity of the soil, thereby causing a major damage to crop yield. According to a study in 2020, about 690 million people are hungry, up by almost 60 million in 5 years. Meanwhile, this food security challenge will only become more difficult as the world needs to produce more food by 2050 to feed an estimated 9 billion people. It is a serious problem that begs only one question: how do we solve it?
In 2022, about 15% of farmers across the globe employ the use of smart agriculture. Although this is very low as compared to the risk of food insecurity the world needs to fight, farmers continue to show positive perception and readiness for smart agriculture. Why smart agriculture exactly?
Smart farming helps attain easy food production in climate change scenarios. In case of extreme weather conditions, you can easily grow fruits or vegetables using a nutrient solution that contains minerals instead of soil or breed crop varieties that are drought-resistant and disease-resistant.
Weeds and pests are a serious threat to crops, but the adoption of smart agriculture can help manage and control crop diseases. Strategies like Integrated Crop Management (ICM), depending less on synthetic inputs for fertilization, and less on fossil fuel-based machinery can serve as a better way to tackle low crop yield due to pests and pathogens.
With the use of smart devices, farmers can target anomalies in crop health and easily eliminate the risk of losses in yields. Automated services on the crops can help control the production process.
Application inputs such as fertilizers or pesticides can reduce leaching problems and emissions of greenhouse gases. The use of sensor networks permits continuous monitoring of the farm to determine any potential threat.
The good quality of products that results from smart farming boosts consumer acceptance. These products are often healthier and sell at higher rates.
Smart agriculture centers on managing the supply of land and focusing on the right growing parameters in order to ensure production for the right product that is in demand. Technologies like GPS, remote sensing, and drones allow farmers to gather appropriate data about soil conditions, crop health, and weather.
The essence of smart farming is one that cannot be underemphasized. It provides farmers/growers with a wide range of advantages that have improved the agriculture sector over time. Some of these benefits include;
There is no smart farming without accuracy or precision. As a matter of fact, those two concepts coexist to deliver the right idea behind the development of smart agriculture. As compared to the traditional methods of farming, smart agriculture beats all the odds due to its use of smart devices that accelerate productivity.
Another benefit of smart farming is its ability to increase work efficiency and save valuable time. The software auto-guidance system in self-steering tractors helps to navigate the tractors automatically along waylines which reduces the time and effort spent on the plants.
The use of technology and data-driven practices in smart agriculture can improve fuel efficiency, help farmers reduce costs, and minimize their environmental impact. Remote monitoring of farm inputs enables operators to adjust or shut down machinery when needed, thereby reducing unnecessary fuel usage.
Smart farming can aid the process of reducing under or over-application of sprays known as consumables. Technologies like Section control can automatically switch off sections of the sprayer as the tractor where required.
Unlike traditional methods, smart farming reduces the workload of farmers. Autonomous robotics such as the robotic harvesters and weeding machines can easily perform the tasks that previously required manual labour. Also, with smart devices, farmers can remotely control and monitor equipment and processes on the farms.
For many years, pests and poor soil fertility used to pose a serious threat to crop yields. But recently, the use of new technologies have helped in overcoming these challenges. Modern techniques of farming such as crop scouting, irrigation, and remote monitoring often optimize farm activities.
Sensors, geofencing location tracking, and machines are some of the smart devices that can be used to detect health problems or reproduction in animals earlier. These technologies help to improve management and control of livestock farming.
Maintaining straight lines while controlling implements is one of the things that tractor drivers often encounter. Whereas, an auto-guidance system in smart agriculture can easily maintain a straight course while freeing up the driver to focus on farm implements and the task at hand.
Equally, smart farming implements are made easy to use in such a way it reduces the stress of drivers on the farms. These implements use ISOBUS connection which means any implement can be connected to the tractor with 'plug and play' ease of use.
Smart agriculture allows for easier recording and reporting of tasks completed on a farm. With the use of automated devices like FMIS (Farm Management Information System), data about the work done can be automatically collected, recorded, kept accurate, and transferred wirelessly.
Smart telemetry systems make it possible for farmers to send diagnostic data to service partners to plan maintenance needs in advance. FMIS software also ensures the possibility of seeing how long tasks take, the cost of fuel and inputs needed, and cost plans.
To improve agriculture sustainability is one of the most paramount benefits of smart agriculture. From weather predictions to auto-guidance systems, smart farming continues to prove worthwhile and necessary in the agriculture sector.
The foundation of smart agriculture relies solely on the use of technologies. It includes various tools and technologies that help agribusiness owners optimize agricultural activities. Some of the most effective and convenient smart farming inputs or implements consist the following:
The smart farming sensors help farmers to achieve what is known as remote monitoring. These sensitive sensors monitor the slightest changes in the state of crops and fields in real time. They also engage in soil scanning and management of water, light, temperature, and humidity.
Advanced networking is an integral part of smart farming as it provides the connectivity and data transfer capabilities necessary for real-time monitoring, data analysis, and general decision making in agriculture. Data collected from these devices can help monitor the health of crops and behaviour of animals, thereby leading to better care and higher crop yields.
GPS plays a vital role in smart agriculture by providing precise and accurate information about locations and enabling efficient agricultural practices. It allows farmers to create accurate detailed maps of their fields—topography, soil variations—and ensures farming equipment follows optimal paths.
As already maintained, data collection is a crucial part of smart farming as the quantity of data available for crop yields, climate change, soil mapping, fertilizer applications, livestock, and machinery continues to change. Data analytics tools in smart farming allow you to make long-term decisions and take action at the moment.
Satellites and drones help growers create updated maps to monitor the territory remotely on a regular basis. Whatever data gathered from these satellites are transferred to IT systems for tracking and analysis.
Despite the use of advanced technologies and numerous benefits of smart farming, farmers still encounter problems in the course of it. Let's explore some of these major challenges:
This is one of the most significant challenges in smart farming owing to the diversity of devices, systems, and technologies used in this field. Different technology providers or manufacturers may use their own proprietary standards, making integration of these devices difficult.
One of the problems farmers often complain about smart agriculture is the steep learning curve the concept requires. Smart farming is broadly divided into four parts; data acquisition, interpretation, analysis, and control. For the average farmer, setting up IoT architecture and field monitoring systems in their fields as well as analysis and control can be difficult and demanding.
Having access to an uninterrupted and strong connection has become a serious challenge to many farmers, especially those in rural areas. A lack of good connectivity and poor network will limit the adoption of digital technology and slow down the rise of smart farming.
Data collection and analysis play a crucial role in smart agriculture. There's a constant need for farmers to always keep record of data in order to make essential decisions. However, data management has become a growing challenge for many farmers as it is nearly impossible to monitor a lot of data points every day or weekly.
The modern systems applied in smart farming require knowing about the features of their operation and maintenance. A lot of farmers don't fully understand how to work effectively with these technologies.
The need to define the right size and number of management zones that aligns with the natural variability in a field poses a constraint to farming operations. It often requires expert knowledge and trial-and-error experimentation to refine the zones.
This is an obstacle that makes it difficult for new or emerging companies to establish themselves in smart farming. New agricultural firms struggle to secure the appropriate capital to obtain the various technologies necessary for effective smart farming.
There's a growing number of different systems, devices, and software solutions day by day, but to integrate these technologies across various farming operations can be very challenging. It mostly requires the service of specialized expertise. And this complexity hinders the scalability of smart farming practices.
As smart farming relies on different energy- intensive technologies (sensors, autonomous robotics, irrigation systems etc), the need for a reliable and sustainable energy source to power these technologies is an ongoing challenge. Many farms located in rural areas have limited access to reliable grid-based electricity supply.
Although setting up an indoor farm with controlled environments, artificial lighting, ventilation, and climate control systems is progressive, the process requires a substantial initial investment. From the high energy consumption to the cost of acquiring such technology, it can pose a great barrier to entry for many farmers.
Although there are some challenges surrounding the concept of smart farming, it still stands as the future for all agricultural production. Modern technologies can provide farmers with extensive control, monitoring, planning, and exploration capabilities. Smart farming allows agribusiness owners/farmers to arrange effective production management, meeting the growing demands of consumers, and also creating an eco-friendly environment.
IoT-driven devices including agricultural machinery can be used to manage the standard farming situations. The ICT used in smart farming also enables farmers to exchange information, establish cooperation, and peer review and even develop informal information systems that may complement the formal information system of controlling authorities. This flow of information among farmers, and between farmers and consumers, would be scale-independent without any restrictions.
Modern satellites and drones can contribute significantly to optimizing agricultural operations and even become a key role in making production decisions, thereby leading to higher crop yields. The spread of smart farming grows on a regular basis with development of technology.
