Introduction
Farm automation, digitization, and sustainability demands are being met by technological improvements in the agriculture sector. Emerging agricultural trends signal a change toward intelligent farming and effective time and resource management while minimizing crop losses. An emerging idea called “smart farming” uses artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, and Internet of Things (IoT) for farming. By taking over manual farm tasks like harvesting fruit, pulling weeds, and watering plants, robots and drones are hastening the automation of agriculture. A high-resolution and site-specific view of the field is offered via satellite and drone imagery in conjunction with the Global Positioning System (GPS). Additionally, sensor-powered IoT devices gather field data in real-time, enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions.
Additionally, the growing adoption of indoor farming and precision agriculture in recent years has fueled IoT growth in agriculture. These technical advancements produce radical and long-lasting changes in agriculture operations when combined. The main objective is to achieve a sustainable future, which includes enhancing livestock management, increasing crop quality and quantity overall, and improving animal management.
There were several benefits for farmers and the agricultural sector in 2021, including the removal of Covid19 limitations that had reduced farmer production in 2020, the Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26),, new agricultural technologies, and more.
Despite these successes, more has to be done to support the agriculture sector. The rate of food consumption will likely increase as a result of the predicted annual increase in global population of 1.09%. The world’s population is predicted to reach over 9 billion people in 2050, necessitating a major increase in agricultural production to meet this need. Industries like agriculture must take advantage of the following new developments to be productive and meet pressing needs.
Some Agricultural Trends
- Increased Adoption of Artificial Intelligence for Soil and Plant Health Monitoring.
- Use of Modern Technology.
- Attracting Talents Through Agritech
- Increased Use of Climate Friendly Agricultural Practices
- Higher Food Consumption Rate
1. INCREASED ADOPTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR SOIL AND PLANT HEALTH MONITORING.
The way farmers conduct their daily operations is changing as a result of the usage of artificial intelligence (AI). Farmers can more effectively monitor their farms, especially farms located on wide tracts of land, by using a soil and plant health monitoring system. In 2022, it’s anticipated that more farmers will be willing to use this technology.
Read this blog post to learn more about artificial intelligence in farming.
2. USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY.
The use of AI and the usage of contemporary technology in agricultural processes are both predicted to rise. The use of traditional tools for farming activities is one of the main barriers to agricultural productivity in Nigeria, but farmers are starting to understand that investing in the use of agricultural technology (agritech) such as mechanized threshers, tractors, automated irrigation, agricultural drones, and more will help scale their agribusiness.
3. ATTRACTING TALENTS THROUGH AGRITECH
Due to the growing relevance of agricultural technology adoption, more talent is anticipated to enter the agricultural sector in 2022 from other industries. The agricultural industry should expect better access to financial opportunities, farm inputs, technological advancements, and digital solutions as a result of agritech’s expanding influence.
4. INCREASED USE OF CLIMATE FRIENDLY AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
The impacts of climate change such as flooding, erosion, heat waves and more will affect crop yield, soil nutrition, the nutritional quality of major cereals, and livestock productivity.
Farmers are anticipated to adopt more climate-friendly agricultural practices in 2022, such as crop rotation, cover crop planting, mulching, etc., to ensure they can maximize their agricultural output.
TOP 10 AGRICULTURE TRENDS, TECHNOLOGIES & INNOVATIONS FOR 2022
1. Internet of Things
In conventional farming, crop field monitoring necessitates a lot of labor, physical equipment, time, and effort. IoT offers an alternative to these established techniques. An Internet of Things (IoT) gadget has one or more sensors that gather data and deliver precise information in real-time through mobile applications or other channels. Numerous tasks are carried out by these sensors, including plant and animal tracking, soil temperature and humidity detection, and more. Additionally, IoT makes it possible for farms to be remotely monitored, which is more convenient for farmers. In addition, modern irrigation systems automate water distribution to crops using IoT sensors. These include, among others, rain sensors, on-site soil moisture sensors, and evapotranspiration sensors. To improve the agility, precision, and safety of autonomous vehicles, startups are creating novel sensor solutions that combine Internet of Things technology with drones, robots, and computer imaging.
2. Agricultural Robotics
Shortage of labor is a critical problem farmers face, and this is amplified in the case of large field operations. So, startups are manufacturing agricultural robots to assist farmers in fruit-picking, harvesting, planting, transplanting, spraying, seeding, and weeding. Robots are being used by farmers more frequently to automate boring fieldwork. They use intelligent farming equipment, such as fully and partially autonomous tractors, to harvest the crops. Additionally, auto-steer technology is available on tractors for simpler field navigating. Additionally, automated methods for managing cattle also employ robots. This comprises automatic feeds, milking equipment, incubators, and weighing scales. Farmers can concentrate more on raising overall output thanks to robots because they no longer have to worry about sluggish farm operations. They also eliminate faults brought on by humans and offer ease through automation.
3. Artificial Intelligence
Incorporating AI in agriculture provides farmers with real-time insights into their field conditions, allowing them to be proactive. AI offers predictive insights for forecasting weather data, crop yield, and prices, thereby aiding farmers to make informed decisions. Chatbots offer suggestions and input recommendations to farmers. AI and ML algorithms automate anomaly and disease recognition in plants and livestock. This enables timely detection and corrective response if required. Biotechnology also deploys ML algorithms for gene selection recommendations. Further, AI provides easy access to finance to farmers who are denied credit from banks through alternative credit scoring. Startups are exploiting AI in several ways to come up with innovative solutions that improve overall agricultural quality. For example, harvest quality vision (HQV) is a recent AgriTech innovation that scans and determines the quality and quantity of fruits and vegetables.
4. Drones
Farm productivity must be increased while costs are reduced. However, drones, sometimes referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), assist farmers in efficiently overcoming this inconvenience. Drones gather raw data that can be converted into information that is valuable for farm monitoring.
The airborne imaging and surveying of close-by and far-off fields is made easier by drones with cameras. Precision agriculture is made possible by this data, which optimizes the use of seeds, water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Drones also make geofencing, animal tracking, and grazing monitoring easier.
They use drones to fly over fields and take pictures, which can be anything from straightforward visible-light pictures to multispectral imagery that aids in crop, soil, and field studies. Drones are useful for crop cultivation, livestock monitoring, and grazing monitoring but are unsuitable for monitoring poultry because of their movement, which scares birds.
5. Data Farming enables Cloud-based Precision Agriculture
Australian startup Data Farming delivers digital solutions in the area of precision agriculture with the help of pay-per-use cloud services. Their cloud-based platform, The Digital Agronomist provides farmers with practical field knowledge through the use of tools like satellite imagery, soil mapping, auto-zone, and much more. With NDVI, high-definition satellite images, and variable rate technologies, the solution provides free soil mapping. Precision farming is made possible by the variable-rate application, which makes sure that the rate at which agricultural inputs are applied is depending on the exact location.
6. Agricultural Biotechnology
Due to pests and plant diseases, a lot of crop yield is lost. Agrochemicals are used in fields, although they are not the most environmentally friendly option. Contrarily, the use of biotechnology in agriculture raises the caliber of cattle and crops. The identification of superior features in plants is facilitated by scientific methods like plant breeding, hybridization, genetic engineering, and tissue culture. Genome editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9 enables great target specificity with increased speed and accuracy. It creates transgenic plants with the desired traits, such as high yield capacity, disease resistance, drought tolerance, and pest resistance. As a result, farm produce is more profitable. Additionally, startups use agri-biotech techniques to offer products like biopesticides, bioherbicides, biofertilizers, and bioplastics for use in fields. These solutions address soil toxicity concerns and ensure a minimal negative impact on the environment.
7. Big Data & Analytics
Common farm data is transformed into useful insights by big data and analytics approaches. The basis for the upcoming farming season is laid by statistics on crop acreage, production, land usage, irrigation, agricultural pricing, weather forecasts, and crop diseases. Analytical techniques are used to derive information about farm operations from data on meteorological events, agricultural machinery, water cycles, and the quality and quantity of crops. This makes it possible for farmers to spot patterns and connections that might otherwise go undetected. A number of startups are providing farm analytics solutions that help farmers make the most of their field data. Analytical data, for instance, promotes knowledge of the soil’s nutrient levels, acidity, alkalinity, and fertilizer needs and enables data-driven decision-making.
8. Controlled Environment Agriculture
The use of conventional farming techniques is constantly hampered by erratic and harsh weather events. Furthermore, it can be extremely difficult to grow crops in densely populated areas, deserts, or other undesirable environments. Agriculture in a controlled environment helps to overcome this (CEA). Plants are exposed to a predetermined ratio of light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients in CEA. There are several growing settings, including greenhouses, indoor farming, and vertical farming, among others. Techniques like hydroponics and aeroponics, which grow soilless plants in a liquid nutritional media or steam, are being used more frequently. Another similar method is aquaponics, which simultaneously raises fish and plants. Plants filter the water for the fish, while fish offer nutrients to the plants. The use of CEA techniques improves yield, lowers pest and disease pressure, and establishes sustainable farming methods.
9. Regenerative Agriculture
Traditional farming methods cause soil to crust over and erode over time. Often, the overgrazing, tilling, and plowing don’t provide the soil much time to recover before the subsequent growing season. On the other side, regenerative agriculture prioritizes boosting soil biodiversity and topsoil resurrection while causing little to no soil disturbance. It includes a variety of techniques, including crop rotation, no-till farming, and reduced tillage. For instance, to reestablish soil fertility, cover crops are sown to cover the land in between cropping seasons. Additionally, through sequestration, regenerative farming enables fields to operate as a carbon sink. This has a lower effect on climate change and results in fewer carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
10. Connectivity Technologies
Without connectivity technologies like 5G, LPWAN, rural broadband, or satellite-enabled communication, smart farming is not viable. Robots, sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices can communicate quickly thanks to 5G, which makes it easier for them to be adopted. Farmers can now more accurately and immediately monitor the data and take the necessary action. Real-time field data interchange is made possible by high-speed internet via fiber optic lines, which is essential for increasing accuracy. In the end, IoT and other technologies like connectivity support each other to create connected farms.
Conclusion
The agriculture industry is experiencing disruptive technological developments, especially in developed countries. In developing countries, the rate of adoption is quite slow, but still on the rise. Smart farming makes agriculture more profitable for farmers. Access to site-specific information, weather forecasts, and yield predictions empower proactive approaches to farming. Several technologies work in coordination to facilitate easy, accurate, and faster farm operations. Today’s agriculture facilitates even farmers to work from home with the deployment of IoT devices, sensors, and automated systems.
The Agriculture Trends, Technologies & Startups outlined in this report only scratch the surface of farming industry trends that we identified during our in-depth innovation and startup scouting process. Among others, IoT solutions, agricultural robotics, and agri-biotechnology will transform the sector as we know it today. Identifying new opportunities and emerging technologies to implement into your business goes a long way in gaining a competitive advantage. To explore more agricultural technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free AgriTech Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
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