The Benefits of Tech-Based Farming: A Global Perspective

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Tech-based farming underscores the use of technology in farming practices that include horticulture, aquaculture, livestock, and crop farming. The main purpose of adopting tech-based farming is to ensure smarter management of resources, improve yield, efficiency, profitability, and sustainability. 

Agricultural technology has evolved through the history of agriculture and farming itself. From the time of simple manual tools to complex mechanisms and mechanical systems that define technology throughout the stages of the evolving industrial revolutions up till the onset of the 4^th industrial revolution around the year 2011. 

The roles of technology in farming have evolved over the years too. They have been differentiated into Agriculture 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and now 5.0. Agriculture 1.0 is marked by the invention of the plough and the widespread use of animal drafts for cultivation. Agriculture 2.0 started towards the end of the 19th century with the major characteristics of the introduction of mechanical technology through the invention and use of tractors. Agriculture 3.0 heralded precision farming which was primarily to track and efficiently manage inputs for farming operations. This category of agricultural technology brought about precision farming and the utilisation of the global positioning system. Agriculture 4.0 utilises technology like autonomous machines, sensor-equipped robots, augmented reality, the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, and satellites were all integral parts of the innovation of this era. The use of data, cloud storage, and digital connectivity enhances management, monitoring, and control of farming activities. The utilisation of Artificial Intelligence as an overarching technology that utilises all existing technologies will announce Agriculture 5.0 which will further revolutionise farming and agriculture in general.

Furthermore, today’s modern farms and agricultural operations work quite differently and more efficiently than those a few decades ago. This is fundamentally because of advances in technology integration into farming. These advanced technologies are more profitable, efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly.

Today, modern agriculture and farming characteristically use highly sophisticated technologies such as robotics for weeding as an example, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial images, satellite technologies, biotechnologies, controlled environment agriculture, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and many more.

In view of this, the framework of farm operations has changed due to technology integration. More machines and devices are collecting, processing, analysing, and providing decision-making suggestions for farm operations, unlike the traditional method of undergoing the operations manually and intellectually alone. Machines are gradually being incorporated not only to perform drudgery activities but also to be able to improve the efficiency and productivity of such operations. These operations have birthed precision farming, smart farming, controlled environment farming, and many more nomenclatures of modern farming that have become increasingly influential in recent years.

Tech-Based Applications for Farming

Precision farming operations have introduced an optimised form of farming. Many aspects of precision farming include drones, satellites, global positioning systems, the Internet of Things, etc. Farmers no longer have to apply water, fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides uniformly and randomly across entire fields. Instead, they can use the minimum quantities required and target very specific areas, or perhaps address the needs of individual plants differently. 

Smart Farming applications utilise sensor technology to determine essential metrics like weather conditions, soil and plant moisture, pest infestations, weed locations, and soil fertility. These data provide the needed support for farmers, and producers to make real-time informed decisions that address any form of challenges proactively. 

The introduction of robotic technologies has enabled more reliable and precise monitoring and management of food production resources. Robotic technology can do monotonous tasks without losing accuracy. The autonomous structured performance of robots allows for continuous field management, and improved agricultural productivity and efficiency. This is in addition to the ability of the robot to extract information from data, and mapping about its farming environment. Furthermore, these autonomous devices are operated remotely. It gives producers/farmers greater control over plant and animal production.

GPS technology in farming provides location-specific agricultural information and can be used to facilitate communication between the farming area and tractors for example in their operation with record capturing especially when combined with farm management software applications. 

General Benefits of Tech-Based Farming

Tech-based farming possesses numerous benefits as compared to traditional methods of farming. According to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and EOS Data analytics, some identified tech-integrated farming activities provide the under-listed benefits:

• Greater Control: The farmers have greater control of what is happening on their farms as a result of real-time data received and stored. Furthermore, the analyses and interpretation of data allow these controls to be exhibited in the decision-making process, and resource management.

• Improved Efficiency: Farming operations have become more efficient with the use of technology. Results and on-farm interventions are more accurate, precise, and faster.

• Higher crop and livestock productivity and profitability: One of the hallmarks of tech-based farming operations is that it ultimately increases the yield per production area of crops, meat, milk, and egg production of livestock and poultry and other commercially grown animals and aquaculture.

• Optimised Use of Inputs: Optimised and decreased use of water, fertiliser, pesticides, and herbicides which in turn reduces the operating costs associated with food production and consequently reduces food prices.

• Reduced environmental and ecological impact: This is typified by less runoff of chemicals into rivers and groundwater to avoid eutrophication and environmental degradation. It also helps in reducing on-field wastes and losses that contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases.

• Increased worker safety and limited exposure to harmful chemicals: Technology has reduced direct contact of human beings with hazardous materials and chemicals. It has also protected workers from other harmful working conditions that are inevitable without technology.

• Safer growing conditions and safer foods: Technology comes with minimal or no-error operating conditions causing foods to be grown in safer conditions and also producing safer foods free of hazards with increased quality.

• Easier Market Penetration: Technology has made the marketing of foods produced by farmers easier. The utilisation of E-commerce systems has enabled farmers to enhance their bargaining power and establish a sustainable sales channel.

Sustainable Prospects for Tech-Based Farming

Due to the increasing benefits and advantages of adopting tech-based farming, the prospects for utilising technology in farming will become increasingly common even in developing economies around the globe. Regions like Africa, Southeast Asia, and many other parts of the globe will also experience an increase in the use of technology on their farms accelerating technological advancements in farming. 

Conclusion

The face of farming is evolving into more integration of technologies in the coming years. The benefits are further cascading into more specific and unique characteristics varied across different locations. As the global supply chain of food produced is converging and food becomes more accessible to every part of the globe, technology-based farms will experience more significant benefits than traditional ones. This might serve as a major motivation for farms to begin the adoption of technology to their farm operations at various scales and levels of utilisation.