The new technology highly influences modern farming. Conventional agricultural practices are getting replaced by modern methods and techniques with the help of agriculture technology solutions. The smartness in agriculture methodologies and processes is the result of the intelligent farming concept. It uses technologies to get insights on agriculture scientifically to improve the activities held in fields and enhance efficiency and yield productivity. It depends on agriculture technologies like sensing technologies, software applications, communications systems, telematics, positioning technologies, hardware & software systems and data analytics solutions.
New technology in farming leverages high tech farming, that is, precision farming and smart agriculture. Farmers have started employing new technologies in farming techniques to improve their efficiency in day-to-day work. For example, sensor technologies are placed in the field allow them to get detailed maps of topography and resources in the area. It also helps in obtaining variables like temperature, acidity and nutrients in the soil. Using software and communication systems, they get access to weather forecasts in the coming weeks helping in making further suitable decisions.
Agriculture technology is not limited to hardware and software specifically designed for agriculture and related businesses. Farmers do not need to buy such solutions, and even smartphone applications are available to monitor, control and manage equipment, livestock, crops and other related inputs remotely. These inputs are also used to obtain statistical predictions about their crops and livestock.
Drones are the newest technology in farming and collect multispectral, visual and thermal imagery while flying on the fields. It is becoming an invaluable tool for farmers and service providers to survey their lands, map fields, generate real-time data and perform field analysis. The data provides information regarding crop health indices, yield prediction, plant counting, field water pond mapping, stockpile measuring, scouting reports, drainage mapping, and so forth.
With modern technologies, agriculture technology is upgrading and providing better solutions with higher potential to handle activities accurately. Though predictions are becoming precise and, overall farming is improving, and there are numerous challenges that need to overcome to provide agriculture technologies to farmers. Existing technologies are applicable only for large fields and target large-scale farming operations. But, the majority of farmers worldwide are smallholders that limit the application of present agriculture technologies and making the most use of existing solutions. New technologies in farming should enable smallholders to apply these technologies in small scale farming operations that require in-depth research and development of innovative solutions.