New Agriculture Technology in Modern Farming
Modern Farming Technologies in Agriculture: Tech Trends to Watch in 2025
Technological advancements are bringing massive changes in various industries. The agriculture sector is no different as it continuously looks for new ways to increase the total output. Innovation is more than necessary for the agriculture industry today as it faces multiple challenges, such as the growing population, the rising cost of supplies, etc.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. The increasing population can lead to food shortages and other issues. Many agriculture corporations use new technology solutions to deal with this problem.
The Farm Tech Investment Report by the AgFunder shows that investments in “Farm Tech” soared to $7.9 billion in 2020. Many technological innovations, such as advanced greenhouse practices, livestock technology, etc., are helping the agriculture industry.
Many technological changes happen not only in the world of AR/VR, cybersecurity, and web development. The agriculture sphere is one of the most notable representatives of innovation use. Indeed, drones, robots, and other great machines are being implemented in the farming sector, and we can see amazing results of IoT in agriculture.
The agricultural sector, since farming is no longer considered a sphere far away from IoT and technology. Studies show that population growth is expected to increase by another 3 billion lives by 2050. Therefore, industrialized farming has a necessity to change things for the better.
Find out how IoT and other technologies are revolutionizing modern farming and how their application can benefit agribusinesses.
Technology Advancements Leading to Modern Farming
From indoor vertical farming to AI and Blockchain, much new technological advancement is changing the course of agriculture. Let’s get an insight into the new agriculture technology in modern farming.
Indoor Vertical Farming
Sustainability is a major concern for many consumers and businesses in various industries. Even in agriculture, corporations seek sustainable solutions to help them with their efforts. That is where vertical farming plays a critical role.
Various studies show that vertical farms utilize 70% less water than traditional farms. Indoor vertical farming refers to growing produce in a closed environment. The crops are stacked over each other, consuming less water while yielding more crops.
The technological advancement can help farmers reduce the harmful environmental impact by cutting down the supply chain process. Most importantly, the shelves are mounted vertically, so there would be less land required than conventional farming methods to grow plants.
Since vertical farming can thrive in a limited space, it is an ideal option for urban farming. Additionally, these farms don’t soil for plants that are necessary for traditional farms. Some are aeroponic, where plants receive water and nutrients through spraying, while most are hydroponic, where the plants grow with the help of water-based mineral nutrient solutions.
Indoor vertical farming offers many benefits, such as increased crop yield, lower labor costs, sustainable growth, etc. As a result, it helps increase food production with reliable harvests. Furthermore, automation also reduces labor costs as robots handle most of the processes.
Modern Greenhouses
The greenhouse industry globally produces more than $300 billion globally. The share of the United States in the entire production is less than 1%. The greenhouse industry has undergone a massive transformation in the last couple of decades.
Primarily, the greenhouse industry was popular with helping for research and aesthetic purposes, such as botanic gardens. However, in recent years the industry now has various large-scale facilities. The reason for this massive transformation is the rapid technological advancements.
Greenhouses today can produce crops on a large scale. In recent years, there have been various new technological advancements that we have seen in the greenhouse industry. For instance, the industry uses automated control systems and LED lights to create an optimal environment for growing plants.
Most greenhouse companies are increasing their production capacity and keeping their facilities close to the urban hubs. This way, they can capitalize on the demand for fresh vegetables and other crops, regardless of the seasons.
The industry is also becoming more and more capital-infused to improve processes and bring in new technological solutions. Most greenhouse companies are using venture funding to build the infrastructure to get a competitive edge in the current markets.
GIS-Based Agriculture
Half the competition battle in farming is choosing a great piece of land. You’re the lucky ones if you have a family generation of farmers. But new farmers do not have such a luxury, and, being first-timers, they want to pick the right piece of land without risks and lead IoT farming successfully.
It brings them to GIS software, a geographic information system. It is a modern farming technology that can depict current and future changes in precipitation, temperature, soil condition, plant health, and several other pieces of helpful information to have a good harvest.
A farmer can also benefit from GPS-based applications along with smart machinery to improve the application of IoT in agriculture to specific field areas to save money and effort.
Livestock Farming Technology
Advanced technologies allow farmers to use sensors, data, and processing algorithms to improve animal raising and care, as well as optimize farm management and overall productivity. The technologies allow livestock businesses to obtain good results even in countries unsuitable for animal husbandry, for example, Israel.
The following list shows several examples of modern farming technologies used to achieve the objectives:
1. Remote health monitoring. Remote monitoring technologies provide more data on animal health and welfare than ever before. For instance, animals are weighed with movable scales installed in the floor covering. Using this tech, farmers do not need to physically contact animals or drive them into pens.
2. Automated feeding systems. Resorting to such feeding systems, farmers can now provide cattle, pigs, and other livestock with premixed feed in amounts specifically developed to meet a particular group’s needs. The systems ensure animals’ nutritional requirements and reduce overeating to a minimum.
3. Milk meter. The device accurately measures milk yields and estimates the most favorable time for milking device removal to protect the cows’ udders. Based on the data received from a milk meter, the software warns farmers about potential mastitis. They can initiate early preventive measures and minimize drug usage.
Bee Vectoring Technologies
When it comes to U.S. crop production, honey bees are worth $20 billion. These insects are essential to human survival, so there is increasing innovation in agriculture equipment to help protect bees and maximize their pollination capabilities.
BVT uses commercially reared bees to deliver targeted crop controls through pollination, replacing chemical pesticides with an environmentally safe crop protection system.
The system doesn’t require spraying water or the use of tractors. Instead, the scientifically designed bumblebee hive allows bees to pick up a trace amount of pest control powders on their legs to spread as they travel within the field.
This innovation in agriculture technology supports improved sustainable farming, crop yield, and soil quality. BVT’s solution is suitable for many crops, including blueberries, sunflowers, apples, and tomatoes, and it also works for farms of all sizes.
Precision Agriculture (PA)
Precision agriculture is an agricultural resource management strategy that collects, processes, and evaluates data and offers insights to help farmers optimize and increase soil quality and productivity.
Management decisions count on precision agriculture data points to improve farmland and farm produce across several key areas, including:
- Resource use efficiency
- Sustainability
- Profitability
- Productivity
- Quality
This innovation in agriculture technology uses big data to aid management decisions, enabling farmers to control crop yield variables like moisture level, soil condition, and microclimates to maximize output. It relies on remote sensing systems, drones, robotics, and automation to improve crop health and optimize agricultural resources, leading to more productivity.
Grand View Research projects that the global precision farming market will hit $16.35 billion by 2028, growing at a 13.1% CAGR. The organization believes increasing government support and the growing need for efficient crop health monitoring will drive market growth.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology is leading to massive transformations in various industries, but how does it apply to agriculture? The unique decentralized structure of this technology can provide solutions to various problems, such as food traceability, supply chain inefficiency, etc., in the current system.
Food traceability is the center of discussion when it comes to food safety. In the case of food borne diseases, tracking down the source of contamination is more than necessary. With the blockchain structure, each party in the food value chain can share data that helps create a liable and traceable system.
Laser Scarecrows
Pesky birds or rodents can be a menace to growing crops in an open field. In the past, farmers relied on traditional scarecrows to ward off hungry invaders. But today, farm owners and managers are turning to high-tech devices with motion sensors to keep birds from pillaging crops.
After discovering that birds are sensitive to the color green, a researcher from the University of Rhode Island helped design a laser scarecrow, which projects green laser light. The light isn’t visible by humans in sunlight, but it can shoot 600 feet across a field to startle birds before destroying crops.
Early tests with laser scarecrows found that the devices can minimize crop damages by reducing the bird population around farmlands by up to 70% to 90%.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Various industries are utilizing AI and machine learning today to increase productivity and streamline processes. The case is no different from the agriculture industry, which can use this technology to gather more information and data.
Various devices, such as UAVs, remote sensors, etc., can help farmers gather data without being present in the field. They can check the soil condition, know the humidity and temperature, etc., around the clock. The data can be of great significance as it can help farmers better understand their crops.
For instance, the remote sensors can help them monitor the situation and the condition of the crops without being present on the ground. This allows them to monitor the situations more accurately and quickly rather than walking through the entire field.
Moreover, the remote sensors allow algorithms to decipher the environment as stats and data. Farmers can use this information in their decision-making process to get better results. The algorithms will also use the data for learning and adapting to the information they receive.
In a nutshell, AI algorithms can help farmers achieve their objectives of a better harvest. They can use the statistical data to make better decisions.
Farm Automation
Farm automation brings together agricultural machinery, computer systems, electronics, chemical sensors, and data management to improve equipment operation and decision-making, and ultimately, reduce human input and error.
Reduced labor time, higher yields, and the efficient use of resources are driving the large-scale adoption of the technology. Farmers now use automated harvesters, drones, autonomous tractors, seeding, and weeding to transform how they cultivate their crops. The technology takes care of menial and recurring tasks, allowing them to focus on more critical functions.
As with any field (no pun intended), automation can help employees save time, as the technology reduces the need for people to actively partake in a task. Thanks to automation, most farmers now spend more time with their families than before.
Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Technology
Robert Salmon, a UK-based arable farmer, found that constraining farming machinery to a permanent lane significantly reduced damage to the soil.
“Allowing machines unconstrained travel across the land can result in virtually all of the land being run over, which compromises the drainage and friability.”
In 2016, Robert planned to transition his 4,800 acres to a 12-meter controlled traffic system where all the farm machines will use the same permanent traffic lane.
Implementing a controlled traffic system requires accurate techniques, which are almost impossible with traditional GPS systems.
RTK technology can provide centimeter-level accuracy, which enables farmers to accurately map their fields and constrain vehicles permanently on the same lane. It transmits the correct positioning information to tractors by radio signal, allowing them to stay on track while moving. This innovation boosts soil health and productivity, increasing output with less input.
Minichromosomal Technology
According to Agritech Tomorrow, the growing population and demand for food mean that farmers will need to increase crop production by at least 23% to maintain our current living standards. So, losing entire yields to pests is a major problem as the global population grows.
Genetically modified food has taken some flak over recent years, with studies suggesting it may be linked to allergic reactions or include harmful toxins that can expose humans to health risks. Another issue is that G.M. food production can disrupt natural biodiversity or release toxins into the soil.
Luckily, there is hope on the horizon. Agricultural geneticists can apply minichromosome technology to enhance a plant’s traits without altering the genes in any way. Since minichromosomes contain small amounts of genetic material, it’s possible to use this technology to make plants more drought-tolerant or resistant to pests without interfering with the host’s natural development.
In short, minichromosome technology allows genetic engineers to create crops that require fewer pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, reducing reliance on harmful chemicals. It also lets them achieve bio-fortification and enhance a plant’s nutritional content.
Farm Management Software
Many farmers burn the wick at both ends as they struggle to keep on top of a heavy workload with little help. The bigger the farm, the more daunting it is to oversee all operations. But in the age of SaaS, there is an app for just about everything—including farm management.
Farm management software is an integrated platform that provides real-time data and information, like a digital checklist, to assist farmers with tracking daily activities. With this monitoring and reporting software, farmers can improve decision-making throughout all operations.
FarmERP, an enterprise resource planning solution, allows farms to streamline their processes and enables seamless collaborations. It lets users manage procurement, supply chain, finances, and processing from a single hub.
This innovation in agriculture technology will continue to advance as internet-enabled devices become ubiquitous. Mordor Intelligence predicts the farm management software market will witness a CAGR of 11.2% in the ten years leading to 2026.
Technologically Innovative Machinery
Modern industrialized farming is impossible without technologically innovative machinery to get the job done with all the field information. This sphere ranges from automatic harvesters to large industrialized sorters. Besides, it covers livestock tracking with ERP systems or mobile/web development for better IoT farming communication.
Farmers can increase versatility significantly using smart machinery and an automation approach to save human resources and time to grow a harvest. Most of the equipment is multipurpose, so you can definitely adjust it to your specific needs.
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Water Management Technology
Irrigation is a vital method of providing water to drylands that usually have insufficient rainfall in order to make them arable. However, while this is a crucial aspect of farming today, many farmers still irrigate their fields with wasteful amounts of water the same way the Mesopotamians did over 4,000 years ago.
Besides wasting over two-thirds of the water, flood irrigation can overwater plants, affecting their growth. It could also carry excess fertilizers into streams and lakes, contaminating freshwater sources.
Innovation and technology in agriculture offer farmers more sustainable ways to provide sufficient water to plants. For instance, N-Drip, a micro drip irrigation system, allows water to slowly drip to plants’ roots, creating the right environment for crops to thrive. The technology reduces water usage by up to 50% and improves crop quality.
EOS Crop Monitoring
How does it work? The system is supposed to give the farmer as much information as he would obtain, saving time and money due to a simple subscription. The digital platform also ensures that farmers can speed up decision-making and not miss any crucial field treatment points.
Benefits of EOS monitoring in farming and agriculture:
- Forecast yields at the field, region, or country level.
- Access field-level crop type classification (wheat, soy, corn, etc.).
- Monitor crops with scouting applications and assign tasks to them in a few clicks.
- Take the best steps to combat the problem, from pest activity to weed management.
- Yield the best number of crops due to weather analytics and plant condition data.
By knowing all satellite-based information due to IoT in Agriculture, farmers can prevent bad scenarios like frost or heat damage, insects, etc., to grow the best harvest without dampers.
Data From Drones
Farmers lose much if they neglect the achievements of IoT in agriculture and see only one perspective of their fields and crops – from their own eyes. It fits if you have small territory, but it becomes hard to control hectares of an industrialized farm just by foot or even a machine.
Benefits of using drones in farming:
- Define crop biomass;
- Measure plan height;
- Observe the presence of weeds;
- Ensure water saturation;
- Detect and treat hazard areas;
- Success in your fields due to more precision as a result.
Additionally, data from drones is supposed to be more accurate with a far greater resolution compared to satellites. If they are locally operated, they also provide any climate or crop valuable information faster.
Conclusion
In a perfect scenario, combining all these technologies can speed up your farm productivity from scratch and show all the benefits of IoT in agriculture. Farming is indeed a complex process in the era of the technological wave that revolutionizes the efficiency of farms worldwide.
As the population grows, there is a need for more quality food, and farmers must produce double to satisfy the demand. It is where drones, satellites, and GPS come to the fore to optimize farm work and complement human resources.
