Agriculture is being transformed by automation – Smart Farming

When farming was first invented several thousand years ago, it was a remarkably novel idea that allowed our forefathers to settle in a single location and establish future civilisations. However, the burden on agriculture has only increased with each passing year since that time.

Traditional farming methods are no longer sustainable due to the industry’s inability to keep up with the industry’s growing population. To meet the requirements of the technological world, technology must develop novel new methods, and one such solution is Smart Farming.

This article delves deeply into the concept of smart farming, discussing the nature of farm automation technology and exploring the various technologies associated with this method. Some vehicles like Mahindra tractor 575 and others are also smart innovations for farming. 

Farm Automation in Agriculture: What Is It?

Farm automation refers to utilising various technological innovations to upgrade and automate the many processes of farming. This technique is intended to alleviate the labour-intensive and time-consuming agricultural processes that farmers all over the world face. As a result, farmers can gain more time and resources to invest in their properties with the help of farm automation and agricultural technology innovations.

Farm Automation’s Various Technologies

Various technologies discover to assist farmers with their activities in recent years. This section discusses the most notable agricultural automation technologies.

The development of various drone and robotic technology have made it easier for farmers to deal with the demanding nature of their profession. In this segment, the following innovations have emerged in particular:

Drone Irrigation

Irrigation of crops in farmlands is a critical step in ensuring the health and well-being of the produce throughout its life cycle. Irrigation is a technique that has been in use for several decades, but irrigation technologies have stagnated.

That’s why drones are being sought after to assist farmers in reducing irrigation burdens. Drones like the Agras MG-1 can carry 10 litres of liquid in a single fill and cover over 6,000 square metres of farmland in under 10 minutes.

Such drones can understand and adapt to farm specifics such as altitude, plant types grown, and even weather conditions. When they combined with monitoring, these drones can easily identify specific areas of the farm that require more attention and match these needs.

Planting Robotics

Planting crops across large swaths of farmland typically necessitates several hours of hard work. However, it can also carry out this task with robots and drones capable of planting seeds from the air on the ground. 

DroneSeed, for example, is a planting drone that helps reforest large areas affected by forest fires. This drone can locate and target specific areas on the ground that are suitable for seeding. Then, they use compressed air to fire the seeds onto the floor, preventing them from scattering due to the wind.

Tools for Analyzing and Monitoring

Farmers spend a significant amount of time manually monitoring and analysing the condition of their crops after engaging in the planting process and establishing irrigation channels. Farmers have had to rely on existing information to make hopeful decisions in the past because this is not a precise science.

With the help of drones that can be sent out to monitor farmlands continuously, farming automation can transform this imprecise science into an accurate one. In addition, these drones can program to seek and identify specifics to better inform farmers.

This includes using various sensors and cameras, such as infrared technology, to identify damaged crops, monitor nutritional levels, and even provide farmers with a 3D field map.

Harvest Automation Software

Harvesting season is frequently the most demanding period of a farmer’s year. A lot is riding on this process, which is why efficiency and accuracy are critical.

Harvest robots are thus develop to assist at this critical juncture. Abundant is an excellent example of an Apple-specific harvesting robot. The use of vacuum technology in this bot has show to make a significant difference in its performance.

Agrobot is another similar invention that is used to assist farmers in strawberry harvesting. It employs A. I technology to determine the ripeness of the fruit before harvesting it.

Irrigation on Autopilot

Automated irrigation processes can be helpful for two purposes: assisting with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems and providing information via sensors. 

SDI technology is helpful for precisely delivering water to plants and controlling drip. When combined with IoT sensors, it can assist farmers in studying soil moisture levels at all points and taking appropriate action when necessary.

Seeding and Weeding Robotics

Farming robots have develope specifically to assist with seeding and weeding. These robots use technologies like artificial intelligence and computer vision to maximise their efficiency and make the best use of their resources.

These robots can even apply fertiliser, and their precision has a massive impact on the region’s soil and environment.

Eco Robotics is a company that is heavily involved in this space and develop solar-powered robots to perform these functions.

Automated tractors

In the field of agri-tech, automated tractors have been making waves. These machines can control remotely, allowing farmers to free up a significant amount of time to focus on pressing needs of their farms.

Innovative tractor technology is undoubtedly on the rise, and it is expected that these vehicles will fully autonomous in the not-too-distant future. This means they will be able to use ancillary technologies like GPS and light detection sensors to carry out various farm functions without the supervision of the farmers. And the Mahindra Arjun 605 is also a technological machine for farming.

Bear Flag Robotics, which specialises in creating driverless tractors, is an excellent example of an automated tractor. Farmers can now plan the routes of these vehicles remotely and even receive real-time reports of their land as the tractor performs its duties.

Farm Automation Technology’s Benefits

The green revolution forever altered the nature of farming for decades to come, The intelligent revolution has the potential to do the same. In the following section, we will look at some of the significant benefits of Smart Farming automation.

For more details, stay with us.