Agritech - Applications

Agricultural technology, or Agritech, is transforming traditional farming practices by integrating technologies and innovations. Agritech addresses challenges of labor shortage, crop failure due to weather, climatic condition or due to other reasons by using various technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and big data, to optimize every aspect of farming.

The applications of agritech covers various sectors such as precision farming, genetic engineering, smart irrigation, vertical farming, and robotics and automation. All these sectors help in improving crop yields, enhancing resource efficiency, promoting sustainability and environment-friendly agriculture. Here are some of the applications of technology in agriculture in different sector mentioned below.

Precision Farming

Precision farming refers to using resources such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides precisely at the right time and location. In precision farming, tools and technologies such as IoT sensors, weather forecasting systems, drones, robotics, and automated machines are used. It helps optimize the usage of input resources such as water, fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides. Due to its precise use of resources, it helps in reducing waste and promoting sustainable agriculture by using less amount of chemicals like pesticides. Its key features include:

• Data-driven farming: It collects data using various technologies such as drones, satellites, and sensors. The Collected data can be of soil conditions, weather patterns, and crop health which is used to give insights on when, where, and in how much quantity resources should be used.
• Variable-rate application: It refers to using input resources, in different sections of the field according to the needs of crop and soil rather than uniformly using the same amount of resources across the entire field.

Example: The use of drones to identify infected plants, for spraying pesticide at the infected plant instead of spraying on the entire field.

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Biotechnology refers to tools and techniques using living organisms, cells, or biological molecules to develop or improve agricultural products. It includes:

• Breeding of Plant: It includes cross-breeding of plants to improve plant traits.
• Tissue culture: It refers to growing plants from cells or tissues in a controlled environment.
• Molecular markers: It involves identifying specific genes with desirable traits for faster breeding.

Genetic Engineering involves the manipulation of an organism's DNA by inserting, deleting, or modifying genes to achieve desirable traits. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and gene-edited crops using CRISPR are the result of Genetic Engineering. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering can be used for the following:

• To develop pests and disease-resistant crops, reducing the use of chemicals like pesticides.
• To develop crops that can withstand extreme weather conditions like droughts such as Drought-tolerant maize. It helps in improving food security.
• To improve the nutritional content of crops such as Golden Rice. It helps in addressing the issue of malnutrition by enhancing the nutrition of crops.
• To improve livestock health and productivity. It helps in higher efficiency in milk and meat production.

Smart Irrigation Systems

Smart irrigation systems make use of sensors and weather data to use water efficiently for irrigation. It adjusts the irrigation schedule based on factors such as soil moisture content and weather forecasting. Watering of crops is done only in the area where irrigation is required making sure crops receive the water they need for optimal growth. Its key benefits include reducing water consumption, improving crop health, increasing efficiency, and reducing manual labor for watering crops.

Vertical Farming

Vertical farming is an innovative approach that refers to growing crops in vertically stacked layers in a controlled indoor environment. It is useful for areas with limited agricultural space. It generally involves techniques such as hydroponics i.e growing plants without soil with a nutrient-rich water solution and aeroponics which means growing plants in an air or mist environment, with LED lights simulating sunlight. Its key benefits include food production with limited spaces, reduced water usage, and year-round farming.

Robotics and Automation

Robotics in agriculture means using systems, machines, and various devices to perform agricultural work with minimum human interference. Automation means using machines to perform tasks with minimum or no human intervention. In agriculture, automation is used for planting, harvesting, weeding, and monitoring. It uses technologies such as IoT, GPS, Big Data and Analytics, autonomous tractors, and robotic harvesters and weeders.

Robotics and automation help farmers in crop monitoring, harvesting, livestock management, pest control, and planting and seeding. It addresses the labor shortage problem during peak seasons like harvesting. Its key benefits include: Enhanced precision and accuracy, cost effective, reduces human error, and promotes sustainable farming.