Author: Muhammad Sohaib
E-mail: [email protected]
Modernization is the most important tool which we are using in modern agriculture. In the world, food scarcity, labour shortage, and high cost from cultivation to harvesting has become serious issues. There must be some innovations so that we can face these challenges. In the last few years, there is some innovation in agriculture by means of which some improvement can be observed. In this regard, some modern technologies are discussed here.
Vertical farming in closed buildings:
This is entirely different from traditional farming. It can be defined as the method by mean of which we can grow crop or any ornamental plants in vertical layers. Since population of country is increasing haphazardly, and the world, specifically if we talk about developing countries is facing problem of shortage of land for farming purposes. In this regard, hydroponics is the latest addition in modern agriculture in which only water is used.
Soil is not main important here for plant growth. It only uses limited land and can increase the production of desirable crop. This type of farming is only used in urban areas where shortage of land is present. It can also be used in houses and offices etc. This technology not only give production but also gives pleasant environment in our closed building. Aeroponics and aquaponics are also latest inventions in this regard.
Vertical farming not only reduce space for cultivation but also reduce the manpower. But there is one disadvantage of this technology that it is very costly. However, research is being conducted in different departments to make improvement is modern indoor farming.
Farm Automation or Smart Farming:
It is the new technology that makes farms more effective and mechanises the crop production. Different companies are working to make innovation in drones, tractors, and robotic system. These companies are motivating farmers to make innovation in their farms. agriculture. The main objective of farm mechanization machinery is to make routine tasks easier. Some main technology that is being used in this regard is Harvest robotics, self-sufficient tractors, drones, and seeding and weeding equipment’s.
This technology can reduce the labour and make the task more efficient but there is one problem and that is it is costly.
Technology in livestock farming:
The raising of domesticated animal for use or some other purpose is called livestock farming.
In the traditional livestock there are many factors that are widely forgotten and sometimes it can be fatal to animals. Livestock gives necessary renewable and natural resources that we use in every day. There are different types of livestock rising like poultry farms, dairy farms, cattle ranches, or other livestock-related agribusinesses. Livestock managers must work hard in their farm in which they keep record, care and feeding of livestock. But from the past few years, new technology has changed the scenario of livestock.
The concept of the ‘connected cow’ is a result of more and more dairy herds being fitted with sensors to monitor health and increase productivity. Putting individual wearable sensors on cattle can keep track of daily activity and health-related issues while providing data-driven insights for the entire herd. All this data generated is also being turned into meaningful, actionable insights where producers can look quickly and easily to make quick management decisions.
Progressive greenhouses:
In recent times, the greenhouse industry has been converting from minor scale services used primarily for research and aesthetical purposes (i.e., botanic gardens) to significantly more large-scale facilities that compete directly with land-based conventional food production.
Nowadays, in large part due to the tremendous recent improvements in growing technology, the industry is witnessing a blossoming like no time before. Greenhouses today are increasingly emerging that are large-scale, capital-infused, and urban-cantered.
As the market has grown dramatically, it has also experienced clear trends in recent years. Modern greenhouses are becoming increasingly tech-heavy, using LED lights and automated control systems to perfectly tailor the growing environment. Successful greenhouse companies are scaling significantly and located their growing facilities near urban hubs to capitalize on the ever-increasing demand for local food, no matter the season. To accomplish these feats, the greenhouse industry is also becoming increasingly capital-infused, using venture funding and other sources to build out the infrastructure necessary to compete in the current market.
Precision Agriculture:
The application of modern information technologies to provide, process and analyse multisource data of high spatial and temporal resolution for decision making and operations in the management of crop production.
Agriculture is undergoing an evolution – technology is becoming an indispensable part of every commercial farm. New precision agriculture companies are developing technologies that allow farmers to maximize yields by controlling every variable of crop farming such as moisture levels, pest stress, soil conditions, and micro-climates. By providing more accurate techniques for planting and growing crops, precision agriculture enables farmers to increase efficiency and manage costs.
Artificial Intelligence:
The rise of digital agriculture and its related technologies has opened a wealth of new data opportunities. Remote sensors, satellites, and UAVs can gather information 24 hours per day over an entire field. These can monitor plant health, soil condition, temperature, humidity, etc. The amount of data these sensors can generate is overwhelming, and the significance of the numbers is hidden in the avalanche of that data.
The idea is to allow farmers to gain a better understanding of the situation on the ground through advanced technology (such as remote sensing) that can tell them more about their situation than they can see with the naked eye. And not just more accurately but also more quickly than seeing it walking or driving through the fields.
Remote sensors enable algorithms to interpret a field’s environment as statistical data that can be understood and useful to farmers for decision-making. Algorithms process the data, adapting and learning based on the data received. The more inputs and statistical information collected, the better the algorithm will be at predicting a range of outcomes. And the aim is that farmers can use this artificial intelligence to achieve their goal of a better harvest through making better decisions in the field.
