Technology has a big impact on various areas of agriculture such as seed technology, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. Genetic engineering and biotechnology have maximized crop yields and pest resistance. The arrival of mechanization has encouraged efficient harvesting, and tiling, and decreased manual labor. There has been great improvement in transportation and irrigation methods.
Modern technologies are focusing on blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, robotics, etc. During the Green Revolution phase in 1960, India used modern agricultural methods like proper irrigation, good quality seeds, and chemical pesticides and fertilizers to earn self-sufficiency in the production of food grain.
Advancements in technology happened several years after the Green Revolution. The arrival of tractors brought new equipment for harvesting and tillage, air seeding technology, and irrigation methods that would improve the fiber and food quality. Farmers may use technology and scientific data to increase crop yields and keep along with modern farming methods.
Here are some of the benefits technology provides in agriculture.
- Increased productivity
Hand tools and manual labor have many restrictions on their output and energy, mostly in tropical climates. Modern machines help farmers to limit manual labor and to accelerate processes. Agricultural mechanization can influence yields directly or indirectly by reducing losses after the harvest and increasing the gains from the harvest.
- Weather prediction
Artificial Intelligence is considered to be an advancement in the agricultural industry. Various AI tools gather data and assist in informed decision-making and precision farming. Satellites, remote sensors, and drones gather data 24×7 to find weather patterns around the fields. Thus, farmers get crucial information on humidity, soil, rainfall, temperature, etc. Technologies related to artificial intelligence can large-scale farming precisely and increase productivity.
- Development of resilient crops
Different methodologies are used in microorganism development, genetic engineering, breeding methods, traditional breeding, etc. Genetics uses the study of DNA to find and utilize these genes to maximize crop resistance to different pests as well as the development of crop varieties that are high-yielding and can improve livestock. The emergence of biotechnology has been providing benefits for both consumers and farmers.
- Agriculture sensors
The evolution of communication technology has given the possibility to smart farming. Agriculture sectors are using different sensors to achieve data to optimize and monitor crops according to the challenges and conditions. The sensors use wireless connectivity and can be used to find moisture content and soil composition, detect nutrients, airflow, etc. Farmers can save labor and pesticides with the use of sensors, thus, fertilizer application becomes more efficient.
- Use of big data
The gathering and combining of data can be further processed for problem-solving and decision-making. It is also used in smart farming and its advantages are useful for the whole supply chain and market. These data can also be from external sources like sensors or machines used in the field, markets, supplier networks, social media, etc. The use of big data is helping in yield prediction, supply chain management, crop yield, etc. The application of big data will become broader in the coming years.