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Agriculture 4.0: The Digitalization Of Farming

The agricultural sector is currently witnessing a sea of significant tech-based changes — all of which will play a huge role in addressing serious problems — including, but not limited to, crop failure, climate change, and global hunger.

This rapid developmental wave is broadly termed “agriculture 4.0” by analysts who believe that tech adoption will inevitably transform mainstream agricultural practices and production tactics in the coming decades.

Given its importance, the Food 2.0 Conference will review and take a deep dive into the promising tech trends that will prove to be a gamechanger for small farm owners, corporations, and consumers. Through its food expo and summit in Dubai, it will explore ways and means to harness AgriTech to help us meet our Sustainable Development Goals.

With just weeks left to go until we drop our curtains, let’s quickly brush up on our knowledge of the tools, technologies, and methods that are at the forefront of the agriculture 4.0 revolution:

Precision agriculture

Precision agriculture can boost farm yields substantially and open doorways to make farms more efficient and sustainable. It involves using technology-based systems and tools such as remote sensing and GPS to optimize crop production and soil management.

With the help of such tech, farmers can make better, more informed farming decisions that can reduce farm costs, bring in more profits, lower water wastage, and help retain the quality of the soil.

Big data

Data truly is the new oil. With big data analytics, farmers can make sense of the huge pool of data gathered from fellow farmers to optimize their farming practices, keep track of weather changes, as well as keep an eye on multiple factors that may affect their farming capabilities and yields every year.

By harnessing big data, farmers can protect themselves against supply chain problems and take appropriate steps to manage risks. More importantly, it can also be helpful in tracking and identifying livestock diseases before they spread and become difficult to contain, leading to monumental losses.

Field robots

Drones were already introduced to the agricultural world in a big way to tackle crop disease outbreaks, weed/pest issues, and for the efficient planting of seeds. But we have now gone beyond drones. In recent years, we have witnessed increased adoption of field robots in farms; a trend was largely fueled by the worker shortage during the 2020 pandemic.

Given that field robots can be deployed to move plants around in greenhouses, monitor soil moisture, as well as deliver automated pesticide sprays to crops under attack, interest in them will only grow in the near future.

Signing Off

With the development of plant-based meat, automated farming systems, as well as lab-optimized seeds becoming a reality, the future of agriculture seems to be an intelligent and tech-driven one. However, what are the ethical concerns that are coming up because of such changes? Will small farm owners be able to keep up? How will these developments help in meeting the global population’s nutritional needs and goals? These are just a few burning questions that will be tackled at our upcoming food summit. Tickets are selling out, so get yours today!

tarun

Tarun Wadhera loves to read food reviews and explore hidden, off-beat restaurants all around the city. After work, you can find Tarun trying out craft beers and understanding how to distinguish pure, authentic caviar from all the scams and fakes out there.