CIOInsider India Magazine
Agritech Trends Cultivating India's Agriculture in 2022
Advanced agricultural trends mark a swing towards smart farming and effective utilization of time & resources with reducing crop losses. Agriculture’s future is a key subject for planners and all other stakeholders. Currently, the government and industry bodies are trying to address agricultural concerns by adopting diverse methods. However, companies ready to alter and update with the ongoing technological developments bounced back. Advances in technologies like Big Data, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Blockchain, IoT, and AI have given farmers new ways to redistribute labor, lower costs, and boost profits. Data has become increasingly important in today’s agriculture. Initial adopters maintained their lead when the pandemic pressure increased in the year 2020 and 2021. One can expect technological advances to continue this year too.
Drones in Farming Helps to Reduce Cost
At present, increasing agricultural productivity with saving costs is very challenging. But drones help farmers to overcome this annoyance in an effective way. Drones collect raw data, which translates into useful information for farm monitoring. Drones are structured with cameras to facilitate aerial imaging and surveying near and far stretched fields. This data optimizes the application of fertilizers, water, seed, and pesticides. Additionally, drones, along with GPS technology, are used for livestock tracking, geofencing, and grazing monitoring. They fly over fields to capture images ranging from simple visible-light photographs to multispectral imagery, which helps in analyzing crops, soil, and the field. One drawback is that drones are not fit for poultry monitoring, as birds tend to get frightened by their movement. However, there is a cost-effective and invaluable tool for farmers to survey their lands for cattle or livestock monitoring, grazing monitoring, and crop cultivation. Start-ups are working on drones capable of measuring the chlorophyll level, weed pressure, mineral and chemical composition of the soil.
Machine Vision and AI-Integrated Equipment
Although the focus is every so often on CO2 emissions, nitrous oxide is a growing climate unease. This by-product of nitrogen-based fertilizers is more harmful to the environment than CO2, though not as plentiful. Levels are steadily increasing, however. Researchers are working to find ways for farmers to decrease fertilizer use. Precise application using technology shows promise over traditional broadcast methods.
John Deere has introduced sprayers that are designed to minimize both fertilizer and herbicide application. The 400 and 600 Series Sprayers use See & Spray technology. Designed by Blue River Technology, this accuracy control system depends on machine vision, machine learning, and robotics to identify weeds and crops alike, then apply precise applications of fertilizer, fungicide, or herbicide to maximize crop yield.
The technology differentiates between weed and crop using deep learning algorithms similar to facial recognition. It reduces application rates by 77 percent, lowering costs while improving environmental impact through accuracy. Meanwhile, John Deere’s research also suggests targeted spraying with complex tank mixes can reduce herbicide resistance.
Less Skilled Labor-More Agricultural Robots
Agricultural robots are expected to multiply by 2025, growing from a $4.6 billion industry in 2020 to over $20 billion. A shrinking workforce will spur this growth when a growing worldwide population demands more food. Robots are expected to make the biggest impact on the dairy industry, along with increased use of fruit harvesters and driverless tractors to offset limited manual labor availability. Additionally, robots can be utilized for tasks like weed control, sorting and packing, and pruning or thinning.
Digital Information Distribution
Pandemic made farmers and industry members shift from in-person chats to digital meetings. Even after the pandemic diminishes, much of this communication will likely remain digital. When farmers can share data, sign paperwork, and receive advice digitally, it saves them time and money. This allows increased communication with equipment providers, crop advisors, and other professionals.
Regenerative Agriculture
More consumers are pushing organizations and individuals to adopt regenerative agriculture practices due to anxieties about climate change and weather volatility. This broad term refers to practices that increase soil carbon sequestration, such as reduced tillage and the use of cover crops. While professionals debate whether regenerative agriculture will be a solution for climate change mitigation, scientists agree these practices increase soil health and fertility.
Precise Nitrogen Application
Increasing concerns about agriculture’s role in the release of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide might lead to more precise applications of nitrogen fertilizers. Technologies such as the GreenSeeker crop sensing system and the Field-IQ input control system will help growers meet plant nitrogen needs without over-applying fertilizer, which can decrease costs and increase profits. Researchers concluded their inventions using the GreenSeeker with barley reduced N applications by 50 percent while maintaining yield.
Technological advancement has provided ample opportunity for the agrarian division to modernize and advance, as well as to get the greatest benefit from the widening range of farming fares that have emerged as a result of the economy’s acceptance of globalization.
Even though one is provided with the information about yields, input costs, soil type, and weather conditions, integrating this data is mandatory to put it to use. Data management software will allow farmers to leverage this data to inform their decision making and this data can be used in real-time to make adjustments such as altering planting depth based on available moisture.
Next-Generation Internet Connection
The latest generation of internet connections provides new opportunities for farmers. They will be able to connect more devices and machines in areas where wireless Internet access is currently inaccessible due to a lack of coverage. In addition, data from them will be collected continually, allowing them to acquire real-time insights from farms all over the world.
Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Agricultural Machinery
Autonomous and semi-autonomous agricultural machinery will augment harvesting accuracy and reduce crop losses. Agronomists will be able to focus on more analytical activities as a result of autonomous technologies, which will greatly lessen the pressure on human labor.
India is in an excellent position to increase its traditional agricultural segments, which have a tendency to work at a faster rate with a rising population. Technological advancement has provided ample opportunity for the agrarian division to modernize and advance, as well as to get the greatest benefit from the widening range of farming fares that have emerged as a result of the economy’s acceptance of globalization.
