Want to know how tech is transforming the business of agriculture? Then read on.
Drones
One piece of tech that is revolutionizing the business of agriculture is the drone. Small flying machines that are piloted either by remote control or automation, drones can be used for a great many purposes in agriculture.
The first of these is checking on crops out in the field, without having to travel out there yourself. Drones can also be set up to automate watering crops, and planting them, which means you can cover vast areas much more quickly and with less effort.
Biofilms
There is a great deal of research being done on biofilms right now, into both their positive and negative impact on agriculture. Biofilms are made when communities of live microorganisms including bacteria or fungi join together.
Biofilms can be problematic in agriculture because they are responsible for issues like plant disease, as well as cross-contamination issues. However, they can also be highly beneficial because biofilms can be developed to protect certain plants and even remediate the soil.
Whether it’s coming up with ways to manage harmful ones better, or to develop helpful ones, you can expect biofilms to be one of the biggest ways tech transforms the business of agriculture from now on.
Solar Farms
Solar farms aren’t just for farming energy in solar voltaic cells. They can also be used in conjunction with actual farming, meaning the land can be used to create certain crops, while it’s also being used to generate electricity.
Of course, this is an incredibly efficient way to use any land, not only from an environmental perspective but from the view of the farmer too. This is because they essentially have access to two crops: the clean energy they collect and the crops they grow underneath and around the panels.
Gene editing
While it sounds super sci-fi, gene editing is already being used to create crops that are harder, and less susceptible to blight, and rot. It can also be used to increase the chances that crops will successfully grow in certain climates, locations, and environments.
Another benefit of genetically modified or GM crops is that they can be designed to withstand attack by pests. This can make crops so much more successful, especially in locations where they can be devastated by insects like locusts.
The last major benefit of GM crops is that they can be changed to offer a higher nutritional value. This means people would need to eat less of the crop to get the energy and nutrients they need, and farmers wouldn’t need to produce as many crops too.
Vertical farming
Not got enough acreage to plant the crops you need? No problem, why not try vertical farming instead? Vertical farming is all about planting crops in layers upwards instead of horizontally. That means as long as you have access to the space above your land you can transform even the smallest plot into an effectively huge area for growing.
Vertical farming does require the right infrastructure including the structures in which to grow the plants as well as ways to tend, water and harvest them. However, the cost of such investment would likely start to pay for itself pretty quickly.
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