Smart and Precision Agriculture

Agriculture 4.0 – The Future Of Farming Technology

- Overview

Smart farming is a management philosophy focused on providing the agricultural industry with the infrastructure to leverage advanced technologies - including big data, cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT) - for tracking, monitoring, automation and analytics operations. Also known as precision farming, smart farming is software-managed and sensor-monitored. 

The importance of smart agriculture is increasing due to the growing global population, the increasing demand for improved crop yields, the need for efficient use of natural resources, the increasing use and sophistication of information and communication technologies, and the growing need for climate-smart agriculture.

- AI/ML/DL in Agriculture Domain

Food is considered a basic human need and can be met through farming. Agriculture not only meets basic human needs but is seen as a source of global employment. Agriculture is considered to be the backbone of the economy and a source of employment in developing countries.

Agricultural activities are broadly divided into three main areas: pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest. Advances in the field of machine learning can help improve agricultural yields. 

Machine learning (ML) is the current technology that enables farmers to minimize agricultural losses by providing rich recommendations and insights about crops. The application of machine learning in agriculture can enable more efficient and precise agricultural production and high-quality production with less manpower.

- Smart Farming 4.0

Smart farming 4.0 is a term for the next big trends facing the industry, including a greater focus on precision agriculture, the internet of things (IoT) and the use of big data to drive greater business efficiencies in the face of rising populations and climate change.

The efficiency of farming lies in a farmer’s ability to predict natural conditions and react to them in the quickest way possible. A few decades ago, the precision of such forecasts wasn’t so reliable - now, it’s impressively high thanks to instant data gathering and distribution. The Internet of Things is successfully fueling precision agriculture as a new direction in farming.

Future agriculture will use sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS technology. These advanced devices and precision agriculture and robotic systems will allow farms to be more profitable, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly.

- GPS and Precision Agriculture 

Agricultural modernization is critical to meeting current global food demands. The advent of precision agriculture is a rapidly evolving solution that will help address food shortages. Precision farming is growing in popularity and is expected to be worth $9.53 billion by 2023. 

Precision agriculture, also known as satellite farming, uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to create more efficient farming methods. GPS enables farmers to accurately navigate to specific locations in the field year after year to collect soil samples or monitor crop conditions. Crop advisors use rugged data collection equipment with GPS for accurate positioning to map field pests, insects and weed infestations.

[The Plum Blossom]

- Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an integrated approach to managing landscapes (cropland, livestock, forests and fisheries) to address the interconnected challenges of food security and accelerated climate change. 

The CSA aims to achieve three outcomes simultaneously:

• Increase productivity: produce more and better food to improve nutritional security and increase incomes, especially as 75% of the world’s poor live in rural areas and rely primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods. 
• Enhance resilience: reduce vulnerability to drought, pests and other climate-related risks and shocks; and improve resilience and growth in the face of long-term stresses such as shortened seasons and erratic weather patterns.
• Reduce emissions: Pursue low emissions per calorie or kilo of food produced, avoid deforestation for agriculture, and find ways to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

While building on existing sustainable agricultural knowledge, technologies and principles, the CSA is different in several ways. First, it has a clear focus on tackling climate change. Second, the CSA systematically considers the synergies and trade-offs that exist between productivity, adaptation, and mitigation. Finally, the CSA aims to seize new financing opportunities to cover investment deficits.