The optimal use of scarce natural resources has gained a lot of attention over the years and efforts have been made towards realizing better agricultural practices and achieving sustainability. Food safety concerns have pushed the industry to seek more innovative approaches to improve agriculture and agricultural produce. The innovative use of emerging technologies has disrupted traditional methods of farming. The supply chain arises from uncertainties centered around logistics, warehousing, distribution planning, lack of forecasts about product availability, yield quality and quantity to end the customer with many other challenges. Thanks to the Automation Wave, the Agri sector has started taking advantage of Artificial Intelligence, Data Sciences and Robotics to not only improve productivity and efficiency but to plan for overall growth, resulting in all stakeholders in the value chain Win.
Many organizations are using automation and robotics to help farmers find more efficient ways to save their crops from a variety of plant and crop infections. Some applications can be used to detect plant or crop health in time and provide a comprehensive diagnostic approach to plant nutrients, soil content, temperature, water requirements and so on. It helps prevent damage to farming through appropriate remedial measures.
Some organizations have already developed a robot that is using computer vision techniques to monitor plant health and kill unwanted plants while keeping the desired crop relatively infested. The advantage of precise spraying is that it helps prevent herbicide resistance. The image recognition app can identify potential defects through an image taken through a cell phone camera and then display messages about the status of plants, crops, and soil. Then it also shows the suggestion of improving the health of the plant/crop. Similarly, soil restoration techniques, tips and other possible solutions are offered to the users of the app.
What’s important is these technologies are user-friendly, easy to operate. For example, apps can be downloaded and used in mobile phones. Of course, in some areas such as the use of drones, it may be better to approach the community, depending on the need and user requirements, such as the size of the land. The rapid adoption of these technologies will create a measurable positive impact. Internet infrastructure and the availability of smartphones and essential machines, as well as awareness among the right audience, is the key to success!
