How can emerging technologies help?
Using technology in agriculture can increase crop productivity, lessen the impact on the environment or ecosystem, and help to use less water, energy, pesticide or fertiliser. Regenerative farming practices would certainly benefit from the current smart solutions available.
Devices can collect live farming data and process it in a farming management system. This system then uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make predictions and help advise the farmer of the best course of action.
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Drones digitise the fields on the farm using GIS systems. Artificial intelligence then aggregates farm data and farm management information
Using technology in agriculture can increase crop productivity, lessen the impact on the environment or ecosystem, and help to use less water, energy, pesticide or fertiliser. Regenerative farming practices would certainly benefit from the current smart solutions available.
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Devices can collect live farming data and process it in a farming management system. This system then uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make predictions and help advise the farmer of the best course of action.
Per Plant crop and weed count – farmers can see how many crop plants and weeds per field
Small Robot Company (2022[online]
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Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) software systems can:
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Predict yield and quality assessment
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Use predictive analytics for crop sustainability
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Use machine learning (ML) to eliminate weeds by recognizing species of plants/crops
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Detect crop infections and diseases
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Enable intelligent harvesting & pricing decisions
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Prevent wastage
The farming data is collected from various devices. IoT devices (Internet of Things) and sensors can monitor inputs such as soil health, water and temperature automatically and feed back to the main farming system using Wi-Fi, 5G or satellite. Robotics can be used to digitise a crop so that data on every plant is recorded. Robots can also recognise types of plants using a camera and then selectively spray pesticide on the weed plant only. Drones can be used for aerial surveys and accessing plant health.
Autonomous mapping and monitoring robot
Small Robot Company (2022[online])
The development of mobile applications for farming has been a game changer. These apps have allowed farmers access to real time information whilst they are in the field and to receive relevant updates.
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Smart Farming Digital Technology Agriculture App - Smart farming focuses on capturing data and interpreting them using computing technologies to make farm operations more predictable and efficient.
When all the above technologies are merged, the result is a smart farming system, also known as precision agriculture. Smart farming gives farmers the potential to deliver a sustainable and more productive output. Combined with regenerative agriculture, smart farming and emerging technologies such as robotics and AI have the capability to significantly improve farming for the better, farming for the future.
Further information can be found at:
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https://www.agrirs.co.uk/blog/2019/05/5-ways-technology-is-changing-agriculture? (2019)
Regenerative Agriculture: With Sparing Farming Practices In Mind (eos.com)
New Agriculture Technology in Modern Farming - Plug and Play Tech Center
18 Emerging Agriculture Technologies: The Future of Agritech (businessexceed.com)