Modern technologies in agriculture have introduced advanced farm management solutions to all stakeholders in the agriculture and food value chain worldwide. From providing alerts to intelligent data-driven decisions, agri technology is becoming an essential part of farming. The technology was first focused only on increasing productivity, but now it has shifted to providing maximum benefits to all individuals in the chain, especially farmers. Though farmers were resistant to experiment and bare more losses if technology fails, proven capabilities and beneficial outcomes have encouraged farmers to change their attitude towards agri technologies. This article discusses the advantages provided by modern technology in agriculture to the farming sector.
Increased productivity is the primary benefit agriculture has gained from agri technology. Planted varieties in Biotech were around 330 million acres in 2009, which is growing by the rate of 7% over the prior year. These varieties were adopted by many countries that include the United States (US), Brazil, Argentina, and in some percentage in Canada, India, and China. These technologies have spread almost worldwide within a decade as compared to 2008 and thus increased the overall global productivity.
Advantages of modern technology in agriculture have helped in gaining sustainable developments as it is the base for sustainability to reduce the production cost, ensure steady and stable production, and avoid losses by finding alternatives. The concept of precision agriculture is the result of agri technology. Along with productivity, the overall profitability in the agriculture businesses has been improved with accurate decision assistance at the right time in the right quantity and the right position. The best example of this can be the decision of applying water, fertilisers, or pesticides in particular area or crops in the field. This also helps in improving soil quality and fertility due to the application of the right amount of nutrients.
The efforts taken by farmers are reduced with the modern machines and agricultural instruments that also reduce the time required to accomplish any particular farming activity. Devices for seeding, irrigation, harvesting and transportation are available as a part of modern technology in agriculture. On-time delivery as per the market demands increases the profits farmer gains by providing them with better market exposure. Smartphone applications have been recently introduced in modern technologies in agriculture that have facilitated online trading and e-commerce along with the provision of a better and faster communication platform of agriculture sector. These technologies are suitable for the campus environment and reduce the overall impact of the agriculture sector on the ecosystem.