Revolutionizing Agriculture through Farming Automation
Our modern world has been made possible by the technological revolutions, which have brought the world to our fingertips. With Information Technology and Electronics for factory automation, the world has become simpler and faster than the earliest days of human development could have imagined. The beginning of humanity has been characterized by agriculture. Humans have been doing agriculture almost since the beginning of time. A discovery like this would change the course of history. Historically, agriculture has been critical to human well-being; however, the current and future challenges of feeding an ever-growing world population are posing serious problems to this sector. To address these challenges the farming business needs to modernize not only in order to offer food on such a large scale, but also to do it economically.
Technological innovation is a way that has been a major driving force in the transformation of industries and agriculture is no exception. Robotics and automation are two technologies that have had a significant impact on agriculture. These two technologies have revolutionized farming and helped the agriculture business create more revenue, as well as being a key factor in improving growth, productivity, and farming methods. Agricultural producers have a tremendous opportunity to develop their crops more efficiently if the resources they have are appropriately channeled. It is projected that India will produce over 100 million tons of food by the year 2050. With the help of technology, this amazing feat can be accomplished with precision and efficiency.
How farming automation can help you cultivate your crop quickly and efficiently
Today’s world is dominated by automation. This is the most effective approach to manage and regulate a farm without relying on human interaction. This technology has been used in a variety of industries, including food processing and textile manufacture. The usage of robots in agriculture has increased in recent years, with several countries employing them for agricultural chores. Robo-weeding, watering, and harvesting are just a few of the repetitive activities carried out by these robots. They can also handle more complicated jobs including irrigation, pest management, and crop rotation. Talking about the term “farm automation” is often used in the context of smart farming, a practice that automates the production of crops or animals.
#1. The Seed and Weeding Process: Seeding and weeding is a long known laborious task. There are robotic weeding and planting machines that can be programmed to target individual farming plots. Seeding can be done much more easily with this approach, reducing farm labor and tedious tasks. A seed planter’s automatic seeding equipment will increase the depth of seed planting and the distance between plants, among other characteristics. Automating the seeding process can reduce the amount of guesswork due to the integration of geo-mapping and sensor data. A good harvest comes from seeds that have been cared for well.
#2. Data Sciences: Farmers in India have to think about agriculture as a business, thereby applying data sciences for precision agriculture. A farmer makes hundreds of decisions between planting and harvesting with each decision impacting yields and profitability. In fact, farmers are effectively in the database business without enough data to make decisions. If farmers are equipped with tech tools or apps which provide them with customized and personalized data, dramatic changes can be seen in yields and profitability.
#3. Using drones: Drones are the future of agriculture. Equipped with technology-based sensors, drones can be used in precision agriculture – monitoring crop health, weed and pest detection, crop scouting, analysis of soil health, irrigation management and livestock management among others. In northern Brazil, drones are being used to develop farm maps with precision including the crops, enabling farmers to analyze these crops during the growth cycle and forecast potential problems, thereby allowing them to maintain a precautionary approach. Crop-spraying as well as crop-dusting drones among others are transforming the face of agricultural practices in China, making it the biggest agricultural producer in the world with constantly improving productivity. In fact, the global agriculture drones market was valued at $435.5 million in 2017.
Benefits of advanced farming techniques:
- Innovative farming methods have several benefits, including
- Reduced costs and increased productivity
- Labor costs are reduced and efficiency is increased
- Production and yield of crops increased
- A more secure food supply
- Qualitatively better
- Better soil management and improved soil health
- Improvements in irrigation and water management
- The control of pests, the enhancement of nutrition, and the prevention of disease were improved
- Enhancing the safety of crops
Several obstacles stand in the way of farm automation. As a result of the high costs of adopting robotics, farmers have the biggest barrier to entry, especially in poor countries. Generally, robotic planters must be designed in a way that can carry large quantities of water and pesticides, which results in additional costs. High repair costs are also a consequence of equipment breakdowns and various technical concerns. For farmers to be able to fully exploit farm automation, new technologies must be combined with their knowledge and experience.
The importance of automation in agriculture
In response to the pandemic, farmers have been caught off guard by this new normal when they are required to adjust quickly. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, robotics and automation have become increasingly important in agriculture. In order to ensure food security, agriculture needs to be sustained. In order to enable this expansion and provide food to millions of people, it is most convenient to integrate automation and robotics into farming processes. Agro technology technologies such as harvest automation, autonomous tractors, seeding and weeding, drones, and many others have influenced modern farming worldwide and are meeting the needs of millions of consumers. As a result of automation, there have been fewer labor shortages, more customer preferences, and an increase in crop production.
Conclusion
Agriculture becomes easier to manage with automation, as farmers spend less time in the field and more time on computers crunching numbers and solving problems. Fully automated farms have remained a utopian concept for far too long, but advances in agricultural machinery are creating the opportunity for automation farming to become a widespread trend over the next few years.
FAQ
Yes, if not fully, farming can be automated to an extent where it can upgrade agriculture practices and improve productivity.
Automation in agriculture refers to a practice often used in connection with smart farming that automates the production of crops or animals.
Automation in agriculture has led to many significant changes in a farmer’s life. It has positively uplifted their mode of carrying day to day activities and making farming decisions.
Today, agriculture faces many challenges like food shortage, lack of labor, dependability of seasons, and depletion of natural resources. In order to tackle and overcome such challenges, agriculture needs a smarter way of farming that can produce more in less while making right decisions.
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