Major Agricultural Trends In 2022

From developments in precision agriculture to farm automation, genetics, and water management tech, agriculture technology innovations provide smarter, safer, more productive farming.

FREMONT, CA: In an era where environmental interests and climate change fears are extremely high, sustainable farming is a hotbed issue. Our population is rising, and increasing land and water shortages pose a considerable threat to the life span of the human race as we know it.

1. FARM AUTOMATION

Farm automation combines agricultural machinery, computer systems, electronics, chemical sensors, and data management to improve equipment operation and decision-making and reduce human input and error.

Farmers now employ automated harvesters, drones, autonomous tractors, seeding, and weeding to transform how they grow their crops. The technology deals with menial and recurring tasks, enabling them to focus on more critical functions. Reduced labour time, higher yields, and the efficient use of resources drive the large-scale adoption of the technology.

As with any field (no pun designed), automation can aid employees in saving time, as the technology decreases the need for people to partake in a task actively. Because automation, most farmers now spend more time with their families than before.

2. REAL-TIME KINEMATIC (RTK) TECHNOLOGY

Robert Salmon, a UK-based arable farmer, discovered that constraining farming machinery to a permanent lane significantly lowered damage to the soil.

"Enabling machines unconstrained travel across the land can be upshot in virtually all of the land being run over, which undermines the drainage and friability."

In 2016, Robert intended to transition his 4,800 acres to a 12-meter controlled traffic system where all the farm machines would use the same everlasting traffic lane.

Implementing a controlled traffic system needs accurate techniques, which are almost impracticable with traditional GPS systems.

RTK technology can provide centimetre-level accuracy, which enables farmers to accurately map their fields and constrain vehicles forever on the same lane. It transmits the right positioning information to tractors by radio signal, enabling them to stay on track while moving. This innovation increases soil health and productivity, increasing output with less input.

3. MINICHROMOSOME TECHNOLOGY

As per Agritech Tomorrow, the growing population and demand for food mean that farmers will be required to boost crop production by at least 23% to maintain our living standards.

Hence, losing entire yields to pests is a significant problem as the global population grows.

Genetically modified food has captured some flak over recent years. Studies suggest it may be linked to allergic reactions or include harmful toxins that can expose humans to health risks. Another problem is that G.M. food production can disrupt natural biodiversity or release toxins into the soil.

Thankfully, there is hope on the horizon. Agricultural geneticists can use minichromosome technology to enhance a plant's traits without altering the genes. As minichromosomes possess small amounts of genetic material, it's likely to use this technology to make plants more drought-liberal or resistant to pests without meddling with the host's natural development.

In short, minichromosome technology enables genetic engineers to create crops that require fewer pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, decreasing reliance on harmful chemicals. It also lets them attain bio-fortification and enhance a plant's nutritional content.

4. FARM MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Several farmers burn the wick at both ends as they struggle to keep up with a heavy workload with little support. The bigger the farm, the more intimidating it is to oversee all operations. But in the era of SaaS, there is an app for just about everything—comprising farm management.

Farm management software is an integral platform that gives real-time data and information, like a digital checklist, to assist farmers with tracking day-to-day activities. With this monitoring & reporting software, farmers can enhance decision-making throughout all operations.

FarmERP, an enterprise resource planning solution, enables farms to streamline their processes and enables seamless collaborations. It allows users to manage procurement, supply chain, finances, and processing from a single hub.

This agriculture technology innovation will advance as internet-enabled devices turn ubiquitous. Mordor Intelligence forecasts the farm management software market will witness a CAGR of 11.2% in the ten years leading to 2026.

5. WATER MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Irrigation is a robust method of providing water to drylands that usually have insufficient rainfall to make them arable. While this is a critical aspect of farming today, many farmers still irrigate their fields with extravagant amounts of water the same way the Mesopotamians did over 4,000 years ago.

Moreover, wasting over two-thirds of the water, flood irrigation can overwater plants, impacting their growth. It could also carry surplus fertilizers into streams and lakes, contaminating freshwater sources.

Innovation and technology in agriculture provide farmers with more sustainable ways to offer sufficient water to plants. For example, N-Drip, a micro drip irrigation system, enables water to drip slowly to plants' roots, creating the correct environment for crops to thrive. The technology decreases water usage by up to 50% and improves crop quality.