Sometimes back, we heard the news of a Bacterium named Bacillus thuringiensis was used to act as a reservoir in agriculture. It made the crops resistant to insects. Thus, a genetically modified crop now grows without any pest intrusion.
Since then, it has benefited the eggplant crops in Bangladesh, maize in Africa, cotton crops in Nigeria and so on. And this is just one example of how technology is changing the face of the agriculture. I won’t be exaggerating if I say we can now grow crops in the desert by using agricultural biotechnology.
There are many more examples like farmers using apps to calculate the amount of the grass available in the field. This step helped them in knowing how much is left in the field and what to feed their cattle. It also saved a lot of their time and money.
If you look for it, you will find many such examples of technology being integrated with agricultural practices for making it better. And it is working. Here, in this article, I am going to take you through the different technologies and how they are shaping agriculture.
The Machines
Machines have changed cultivation to a great deal. What took days previously can now be accomplished in hours now. And that too with much less labour and cost.
Time and production are directly proportional in agriculture, and both of them hold equal importance. You must plant the crop at the right time to have plenty produce. And then, you must harvest in time and deliver it timely to the stores.
With the use of technology, you can now know when to plant and finish planting in time. This allows a farmer to grow the enormous quantity of food in a short period. Good for them and us, both.
Transportation
With the change in the logistics, now, everything is available fresh to every corner of the world. The freshly grown mangoes in India can reach to other parts of the world the same day now. Every food product arrives at the grocer’s in time.
The transportation of fertilizers and other necessary farming materials is also facilitated for the farmers. We get the fresh food, and they get the fresh supplies and timely payments. Its a win-win situation for everyone.
Cooling Facilities
Earlier, vast quantities of perishable products used to get spoiled during the transportation due to excessive heat. Items like tomatoes used to get stale. But now, the transportation trucks come with the cooling facility. Now, these products stay fresh upon the delivery. No food item is wasted, the farmers can now sell all of those perishable items, the demands are met, and we get fresh food. So many benefits of one little technology.
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Genetically Produced Plants
The plants that are now genetically produced, like potatoes, eggplants, cotton, etc. can resist pests and diseases. These plants give a good yield and save a lot of time of the farmers as well.
These genetically engineered plants grow faster than the normal crop and produce healthier yield comparatively. On the top of that, since they are resistant to the pests, farmers don’t have to use pesticides on them.
This saves them money, in turn, increasing their profits. And, it also gives us pesticide-free food to consume, saving us the money we used to spend on food-borne illness.
Animal Feeds
Gone are the days when farmers had to funt for grass to feed their cattle. cattles can now devour animal feeds that are comparatively more nutritious. Hence, they don’t just fill their tummy, but also facilitates their better health and fast growth.
This, in turn, increases the output of these animals. Also, these animal feeds are available at a fair price. Hence, even a small farmer can afford them.
Genetically Bred Animals
After genetically produced crops, came the era of genetically bred animals. These animals are stronger and productive. Also, they are resistant to many diseases and yields higher productivity as compared to their regular counterparts. This has increased the yields of farmers as well.
Technology In Irrigation
With the inclusion of technology in the field of irrigation, farmers in arid regions can also cultivate crops and irrigate them. Like in Egypt, farmers collect water from the Nile using the pumps and use it for irrigating their field. They are now growing rice that requires a lot of water. This wasn’t possible earlier, growing crops in Egypt, let alone rice.
Vertical Farming
When talking about technology changing the face of the agriculture, we can’t skip mentioning vertical farming. Vertical farming allows cultivation in the urban areas.
The cultivation of plants and rearing animals are done within the skyscrapers in the urban areas. These skyscrapers are either dedicated to one of them or are open for mixed use for both of them.
The techniques used in vertical farming is very similar to glass houses. Also, these farms could amplify natural light with the use of energy-efficient lighting. Year-Round crops, reduced transport cost, protection from weather and supporting the urban food autonomy are just a few advantages from its list of many. However, this technology is going to take some time before it gets viable.
The Sensors
Sensors are a significant addition to the automated method of farming. These sensors can calculate the situation of soil, air, and crops. Thus, they can tell what crops will produce greater yield in that soil under that climate. Also, the crop sensors can determine how much fertilization is needed and how healthy the crop is.
Technology is everywhere in our lives. From the time we wake up, till the time we go to bed, we depend on technology a great deal. And now, the healthy food we eat is really healthy due to the same factor.
It has taken agriculture to another level altogether. And we are about to witness many changes in the way the crops were used to be cultivated. Agriculture is going to be fast, better and advanced in a few years from now.
