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The global population is increasing rapidly, due to which agriculture must use smart technologies to increase food production.
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Applied Technology Review | Friday, April 23, 2021
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FREMONT, CA : Industry 4.0 is now improving manufacturing productivity, and some of these innovations are already being used in agriculture. Agriculture 4.0 is a farming management strategy that uses emerging technology and data to improve yields and productivity, allowing farms to work smarter rather than harder.
Due to various advances in technology, such as sensors, devices, machines, and information technology, modern farms and agricultural operations function differently than those of a few decades ago. Robots, temperature and moisture monitors, aerial photos, and GPS technology are all regularly used in today's agriculture. Businesses can become more productive, effective, safer, and environmentally sustainable due to these innovative devices, precision agriculture, and robotic systems.
Robotic technologies allow for more accurate monitoring and management of natural resources, including air and water quality. It also gives farmers more control over the cultivation, processing, distribution, and storage of plants and animals.
Here are some of the advantages that technologies have provided in farming.
Data-driven
Agriculture is a precise science that needs to maintain soil conditions in specific boundaries to attain maximum crop production. These processes can be made more effective by utilizing data. Collecting data on crop conditions will assist farmers in making precise changes to optimize growth and reduce resource waste.
Precision farming methods in outdoor farming may include integrating smart sensors in the soil to track various variables. Many sensors are available in the market that can be used for agriculture, like electrochemical sensors, which can identify pH and nutrient levels, and mechanical sensors, which can measure soil compaction.
The correct solution can be delivered if the exact state of the soil is determined. Drones, which can scan a wide area and generate 3D images, can also collect data.
Robot revolution
Crop harvesting, weeding, and seed planting are some of the activities that agricultural field robots can automate. Robots in agriculture are not limited to the fields as they can also be used in indoor farming.
Growing crops in layered, vertical stacks under regulated indoor conditions is known as vertical farming. The temperature is controlled using heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The environment is accurately adjusted to the plants' requirements, with an optimal amount of light is provided by LED bulbs.
Robots will scan every plant and analyze its growth in indoor farms. Based on the plant's requirements or life cycle level, the robot can transfer it to different locations.