The Rise of Technology & Drone Use in Agriculture
The Use of Agritech is Changing the Agriculture World
The use of technology in agriculture has allowed farmers and agribusinesses to become more efficient, profitable, and environmentally conscious. With sophisticated technologies like robots, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS, today’s farmers can automate agricultural processes such as harvesting, soil maintenance, planting, and irrigation.
Farmers will no longer need to irrigate or apply fertilizers and pesticides uniformly across entire fields. Now, they can use the minimum quantities required, targeting very specific areas, or even treating individual plants differently based on data they can gather from a field analysis. Learning how to use resources more efficiently results in higher crop productivity, reduced impact on natural ecosystems and surrounding land, less runoff, and increased worker safety.
Agricultural Technology Usage
From the rise of smartphones and ag apps to the emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – otherwise known as drones – technology in agriculture brings advantages to farmers for managing their crop cycle and crop yields, improving the quantity and quality of produce while using the same amount of land.
Some ways farmers can use drones include: soil and field analysis, planting, crop spraying and monitoring, irrigation, and crop health assessments. The worldwide market for drones in agriculture was recently estimated to be over $30 billion, highlighting the impact it has to reshape agricultural operations.
There are certain governmental regulations that need to be considered as well as other limiting factors such as technology resistance, privacy concerns, and quality of data when it comes to drones. However, the diversity of drone applications in agriculture will continue to advance the industry and help ag operations around the world become more efficient.
Moreover, robotic technologies allow for more reliable monitoring and management of natural resources, like air and water quality. This provides farmers greater control over plant and animal production, processing, distribution, and storage. The advantages of this increased control and monitoring for growers includes lower prices, safer growing conditions, and reduced environmental impact.
Funding Your Ag Technology
Embracing the use of technology in agriculture will help farmers and growers overcome nationwide challenges around food production, productivity, and sustainability. If you are looking to invest in the future of your operation by purchasing or upgrading your technology, AgAmerica Lending offers loan options such as our 10-year line of credit. To learn more about our land loans and ways we can help you take your operation to the next step, contact us today.
